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Apple Reveals Mac OS X 10.2, 17" iMac, Windows iPod

Steve Jobs today announced at the Macworld Keynote that Mac OS X 10.2 will be available August 24 for $129. "That's less than $1 for each major feature," he quipped. Updates will be available in some cases for $19.99. Also introduced were iTunes 3, iPod updates, iChat, iCal, iSync, a 17" iMac, and a lot more. Many of the new features have been mentioned here before, including QuickTime 6, spring-loaded folders, integrated Finder searching, better Windows integration, new Address Book, new Mail, Rendezvous, iChat, and Sherlock 3.

The Address Book is now system-wide, accessible from many applications, and even has Bluetooth integration. Jobs dialed his cell phone via Address Book, and then when someone called him back on that phone, the computer popped up with the caller's name in Address Book. He had the option to pick up the phone or reply with a short text message.

iSync is a new system for synching your contacts and calendars with GPRS cell phones, Palms, and iPods; so Palms and cell phones are now a part of the digital hub. The iSync program shows you connected devices, and allows configuration of what to sync, and when. The demo showed a complete sync of an address book on the computer to the cell phone, again over Bluetooth. iSync will also allow integration with .mac to update your contacts and calendars between multiple computers, and will be available as a free download in September.

The Mail app now has much better searching and spam filtering, and inline QuickTime (no, that won't be abused ...).

Rendezvous will allow such things as automatic accessing of other's playlists in iTunes, accessing USB printers on the network, and more, with "zero configuration" (I hope there is some configuration, so I can opt in or out of such things). Epson, HP, and Lexmark will have Rendezvous-compatible printers. Jobs didn't mention any way to share USB printers between Mac OS and Mac OS X.

iChat, the new instant messaging program, and iCal, the new shared calendar program, can work with the $100-per-year .mac subscription, or with the free AOL IM account and any web server. iChat will use Rendezvous for finding local users, and shared calendars can be sent via iChat or mail. iCal will ship in September, as a free download.

Sherlock 3 has been completely rewritten, using Internet services (SOAP? XML-RPC?) instead of trying to parse HTML. The demo showed movie listings with embedded trailers, eBay searches with intelligently organized information and pictures, Google image searching, and a Yellow Pages search that knows your ZIP code and sorts by distance, and shows directions and maps.

iTunes 3 is out today, with new features such as rating songs, keeping track of how often songs are played, playing back all songs at the same volume, integration with audible.com, and "Smart Playlists" with rulesets so they are automatically populated (e.g., "25 most played songs", or "500 MB of songs where playcount is 0", to play songs you've never listened to). It is only available for Mac OS X, and requires registration with an email address.

For the iPod, Apple lowered prices on the 5GB and 10GB models ($299, $399), and introduced a 20GB model ($499). The 10GB and 20GB have a solid state scroll wheel, a door to protect the FireWire port, a remote control, and a case. The playlist counts, Smart Playlists, and audible.com integration sync between the iPod and iTunes. Sound volume check has also been added to the iPod. The new 10GB model is 7.692 percent thinner than the previous version.

Also added to the iPod, in addition to the contacts, is calendars, synched with iCal, so it can really act as a PDA for most people. Jobs also announced Windows versions of iPod, synching with musicmatch and including a FireWire 6-to-4 pin cable.

The new iMac has a 17" widescreen display at 1440x900, with an NVIDIA GeForce4 MX, G4/800, and 80GB hard drive.

Jobs also noted that there are 2.5 million Mac OS X users, that 77 percent of owners of new Macs keep Mac OS X as the primary OS, and that they estimate there will be 5 million Mac OS X users by the end of the year, representing 20% of all Mac users using the new OS in the first 24 months.

Apple showed some new ads in the "Switch" campaign, including a student who lost her paper on Windows, a student whose CDs get messed up in his bag (although they didn't point out that he can use iPod under Windows now), and a comedian who ended his commercial with, "My name is Will Ferrell ... and I'm a porn actor."

974 comments

  1. $129?!?!?! by 1010011010 · · Score: 1, Troll


    What? The bug fixes cost HOW MUCH? How many times do I have to buy this damned OS?

    --
    Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
    1. Re:$129?!?!?! by sky289hawk1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Twice. You buy X.0. Then you got X.1 for free and all the updates with it. You then buy X.2. Of course, if you buy a computer sometime in the last 2 years, you will only buy OSX once. Either once with having to upgrade to X.2 or once having to get X.2 for the first time.

    2. Re:$129?!?!?! by AtaruMoroboshi · · Score: 5, Informative

      This is not bug fixes.

      This is an update.

      You did READ what was posted is going to be in 10.2, didn't you?

      If you had watched the keynote like I did (via quicktime), you'd know this is FAR more than a bug fix.

      .

    3. Re:$129?!?!?! by Brento · · Score: 2, Redundant

      What? The bug fixes cost HOW MUCH? How many times do I have to buy this damned OS?

      The undertone of this keynote was, "We need more of your money." Other shows have been all about bringing more users into the fold, but this show was clearly about getting more money from the existing user base.

      The funniest part was the absolute dead silence after the dotMac introduction, when users were informed that they were going to have to shell out $100 a year for stuff they've always gotten for free.

      --
      What's your damage, Heather?
    4. Re:$129?!?!?! by eyeball · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Regardless, it's $129 for a bunch of features I didn't ask for (which is also a common complaint behind Microsoft). Of course I'm free to not purchase the 'Update,' but how long until 10.[01] is no longer supported? If I don't buy the upgrade, how long will it be until I can't get bugfixes and critical security updates?

      So as I figure it, if Apple continues along this path, that's $130/year from each user.

      --

      _______
      2B1ASK1
    5. Re:$129?!?!?! by mh_tang · · Score: 2, Funny
      The funniest part was the absolute dead silence after the dotMac introduction, when users were informed that they were going to have to shell out $100 a year for stuff they've always gotten for free.
      Ahh yes, I believe this age-old trick is known as the bait-n-switch...
    6. Re:$129?!?!?! by King+Babar · · Score: 3, Interesting
      This is not bug fixes.

      This is an update.

      Alas, you are correct. It looks like they still have not fixed all the printing bugs.

      Seriously, my USB-connected printer was hugely more functional under Mac OS 9. Rendezvous sounds wonderful, but it apparently won't do much for my current HP inkjet.

      Yes, there are hacks to get USB printing working under the current OS, and I'll have to go with one of those, since spending $258 to upgrade the OS this year is...not going to happen very quickly. My most likely course of action now is to defer upgrading or purchasing any Apple stuff until 2003, which I fear is the opposite of what they were looking for here.

      --

      Babar

    7. Re:$129?!?!?! by joshsisk · · Score: 1

      Didn't it also say upgrades cost $19.99...

    8. Re:$129?!?!?! by Delphix · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you don't want the new features, don't buy them. Stay with MacOS X 10.1.5 ...

      The "paying for features I don't want" excuse is getting old. If what you have is working well for you, then you have no need to upgrade. I for one still have several Red Hat 6.2 boxes running here because Red Hat 7.2 has features I don't need. It's a free upgrade if I want it, but I don't.

      Mac OS X is a great OS. Apple put a lot into those new features you don't want. $129 isn't bad for what you're getting. Hell, look at Windows. It doesn't include half the functionalty and it costs $200-$300 depending on your persuasion (Home/Pro).

    9. Re:$129?!?!?! by laserjet · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Only if you just bought your mac in the last month or so. The rest of us are expected to bend over and grab our ankles then cough up the money if we want to be supported in the future.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    10. Re:$129?!?!?! by imadork · · Score: 3, Interesting
      The undertone of this keynote was, "We need more of your money." Other shows have been all about bringing more users into the fold, but this show was clearly about getting more money from the existing user base.

      I agree. Between 10.2. and .Mac, I'm beginning to wonder why Apple doesn't just hack into our credit cards and take the money out directly. H2K2 was not far away, after all...

      10.2 looks compelling, but most of the new features don't seem immediately useful to me. I may just skip this upgrade until I get some Bluetooth toys to play with.

      I also noticed this, snipped from macnn.com:
      One last thing: Apple lowered the price of the SuperDrive iMac by $100 to $1,799 and introduces new 17" flat-panel iMac. It supports 1440x900--66% bigger than the 15" iMac, adds a Nvidia GeForce4. The 80GB/256MB/17"/SuperDrive/GeForce4 model is due in August for $1999.

      That 17" iMac looks sweet, but I thought consumer-level computers were supposed to be getting cheaper lately. Even if this is the high end of Apple's consumer line, does Apple think that people will be willing to spend $2000 on an iMac? Or do they know something about the economy that we don't?

    11. Re:$129?!?!?! by joshsisk · · Score: 1

      Or if you've already used the THREE upgrade coupons that come with your mac when you buy it...

    12. Re:$129?!?!?! by Ibjr · · Score: 1

      Jobs said the super drive was very popular, and for $200 more, the screen is 17"... I just setup a Gateway for a friend, she spent $2,500 on it, (I was out of town when she bought it) and it had a 15" LCD. I think the $2,000 pricetag will work for the mac.

    13. Re:$129?!?!?! by Peyna · · Score: 2
      It's not bait and switch. Bait and switch is "come get this tv for 5$" and then you show up and instead they push a $500 tv down your throat and hide the $5 tv from you, etc. It's also illegal.

      In Apple's case they just finally realized they needed to charge for a service they had been offering for free for a long time in order to recoup some of their costs. Sort of like slashdot starting subscriptions, or any other website you can think of that used to be free but now has to charge or have ads everywhere to pay for itself.

      --
      What?
    14. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Windowx XP is $99 for Home and $199 for Pro as an upgrade (which is what we are talking about here). That is not quite $200-300.

    15. Re:$129?!?!?! by rascalb · · Score: 1

      One thing that people need to remember is that this is not a bug fix upgrade. 10.1.4 and 10.1.5 where. 10.2 is a major upgrade in almost every part of the OS. True, it is a bit more expensive than past Apple "tenth-place" updates, but they usually have charged for them before. We were charged for upgrading from 8.1 to 8.5 and from 9.0 to 9.1, etc. Also, if you happen to be a student or a teacher, the upgrade is $69. I am not seeing what the big deal is.

      --
      "Nothing is impossible to someone who is impervious to reason."
    16. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would also add that going from 98 to XP is probably the most dramatic improvement in an OS upgrade ever. There really is no comparison. This is more like 98 to 98SE or ME as somebody else pointed out.

    17. Re:$129?!?!?! by puppetluva · · Score: 2

      you can get a brand new retail inkjet printer for less than the upgrade price of $129. Maybe you want a new printer and not the upgrade. Buying a more compatible one this time around should save you headaches down the road.

    18. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're right. This is worse than bait and switch. This is the old "your first hit is free" and once you get addicted we start charging you. As for slashdot, I haven't paid them one red cent. Most sites offer free access for basic or heavily ad based and then offer a pay premium service (like GameSpot Complete) with better stuff and no ads..

    19. Re:$129?!?!?! by Peyna · · Score: 1

      So then do you suggest that apple offer a .mac service so long as they load it up with ads? They have to make money off it somehow!

      --
      What?
    20. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, I've got 3 Macs. I don't need Rendevous with them so I'm buying one copy in the near future and another one probably after Christmas. My third mac may never get it (its 3 years old).

      If you don't like the price and it doesn't fix/offer you anything new, don't freakin' buy it.

      Me, I like the Internet Service stuff.

    21. Re:$129?!?!?! by dr00g911 · · Score: 1

      Or, you could just install Darwin for free (and be up-to-date), and get rid of all those pesky features that you didn't ask for.

      Can't have your cake and eat it too. This is a pretty massive upgrade, and one that I won't hesitate in paying for: for the THIRD time (Public Beta, X.0).

      How the hell else are they going to fund the huge R&D budget they've got dedicated to coming up with a seemingly endless supply of killer apps?

    22. Re:$129?!?!?! by Coke+in+a+Can · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Technically, Windows Me was an update. It had a somewhat updated GUI, and some new software. It may have been ridiculously slow and buggy, but what company makes Windows? Right.

    23. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      There are a few features that are to be added that seem to be consistently overlooked. One is the addition of the CUPS printing system. I'm hoping that this will fix many of the printing problems.

      The other feature that I'm looking forward to is IPSEC and PPTP support. It will be nice to have VPN support builtin.

    24. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know what they say...

      "If you have to look at the pricetag, then you cant afford an Apple Product"

    25. Re:$129?!?!?! by bmetzler · · Score: 1

      So as I figure it, if Apple continues along this path, that's $130/year from each user.

      No problem, just send the $130 yearly to Microsoft. They'll treat you well.

      -Brent

    26. Re:$129?!?!?! by soupforare · · Score: 1

      Don't let them lie to you. 10.1 was not free
      I don't have a newer mac, I couldn't afford it unless I sold all my cameras, but I went hunting with my buddy for 10.1 for his shiny G4 tower.
      You're supposed to be able to bring a proof of purchase into an apple retailer and get a 10.1 cd. We tried every Compusa in the area and even a ma-and-pop shop that only sells apple, none of them would honour this agreement
      He ended up emailing Apple a poison pen letter, and then buying the update from them anyway.

      --
      --- Do you believe in the day?
    27. Re:$129?!?!?! by sethdelackner · · Score: 1

      Upgrade coupons? Please expand. I bought a G4 about 2 months ago and I don't remember any upgrade coupons.

    28. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you want everything for free then WHY are you using a Mac? Go buy a microtel box and dump debian on it. I dare you to find a free web/imap/disk space hosting service that has no advertising and good uptime.

    29. Re:$129?!?!?! by Delphix · · Score: 1

      98 -> 98SE = $99

      98SE -> ME = $69

      ME -> XP home = $99

      all told that comes to about $270...

      Sure, you could just upgrade from 98 -> XP Home, but that's not really a fair comparison. That's more akin to MacOS 8 -> MacOS X...

      That and there is also upgrade pricing yet to be announced. The $129 install will install on a bare hard drive. Try that with WinXP...

    30. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course, if you buy a computer sometime in the last 2 years, you will only buy OSX once.

      You think the O/S was included with the Computer for free? Wrongo... the O/S added at least $100 to the cost of the Computer.

    31. Re:$129?!?!?! by neuroticia · · Score: 1

      Killer apps?

      Most of the things I saw on the list of "features" fell into a few categories:

      1- Things I was able to do in OS 9 (which is still on my Mac)
      2- Things that I DO NOT WANT (iCal for one. I have Office and am HAPPY with it.)
      3- Bug fixes that I *DO* want, but that I'm not about to pay $130 for. Bug fixes should be free, and should be available for all users. OR they should upgrade users for free, but withold the "killer apps" for those who wish to pay for them. If they did this, I'd have a LOT more goodwill for Apple and would even consider buying the "killer apps" for $130, since I'd know they would fix the bugs for me for free or for a tiny price in the future.

      In other words- bye-bye OS X on my Mac. I'm sticking with 9. Maybe it's buggy, maybe it doesn't have the million and one "features" that OS X has, but at least it has the ones I use without making me pay $130... *growl*

      Same reason I stuck with Win95 until Win2k came out--UNLESS it fixes bugs AND adds substantial benefit over the old OS, no way am I pulling out the credit card.

      -Sara

    32. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How the hell else are they going to fund the huge R&D budget they've got dedicated to coming up with a seemingly endless supply of killer apps?

      You're joking right? How about the fact that their hardware costs twice as much as a similarly spec'd PC? They have to be making about 50% profit on these things at LEAST or they're morons.

    33. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      iTools was a way of differentiating Macs from PCs. You felt special because Macs had free services, so while you pay more for the computer, you get more. That's no longer the case and it's one less selling point to justify the price premium.

    34. Re:$129?!?!?! by 1010011010 · · Score: 2


      They should bring back the pizzabox mac. On the low end, you have to buy a big, clunky, monitor-included thing. If you want a "component" system, you have to buy a tower, which is big and costs much moolah.

      If they sold a cheaper no-monitor system, people who already have monitors for their PCs could slip in a Mac instead.

      --
      Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
    35. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you're overstating the problem. USB printing _works_ in MacOS X just fine. Until CUPS, the print driver model is a little simplistic, so you lose some of the more exotic capabilities from MacOS 9's capabilities. For example, my several year old Epson Stylus Color 740 prints fine under both 9 and X (actually, the output looks better under X, thanks to the PDF imaging model), but I can't print a full-bleed page, just the standard print sizes. That's mildly annoying, but far from needing "hacks to get USB printing working under the current OS" -- that is, unless your printer vendor simply doesn't support MacOS X, in which case you have a problem with that vendor, not Apple.

      Wait until you see CUPS. It makes printing under X way nicer than before. And since it's open source, you can already download, compile and install it. :-)

    36. Re:$129?!?!?! by Phil+Wilkins · · Score: 1

      Did you look in the box?

    37. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yuo are more correct than you may even imagine. Individuals saying, "Yah, sure - it's a sweet deal - I'll buy one," are unfortunately in a vast minority.

      Currently, the new iMac is selling at less than 200 units a week. One of the largest wholesalers, Ingram sold only 72 units the third week in June.

      Evidently, average sales of these boxes in the last couple of months at Ingram has been in the high 80's.

      These are way beyond dismal numbers.

      Here is the full report from June 25:
      http://quicken.com.com/2100-1040-939363.html? legac y=cnet&tag=pt.intuit.newsfeed..ne20085401?tag=

    38. Re:$129?!?!?! by phyxeld · · Score: 1

      You're supposed to be able to bring a proof of purchase into an apple retailer and get a 10.1 cd. We tried every Compusa in the area and even a ma-and-pop shop that only sells apple, none of them would honour this agreement

      Funny... I got my free 10.1 update cd (and printed manual!) from compusa without showing a proof of purchase or anything.

      --
      __
      Choose mnemonic identifiers. If you can't remember what mnemonic means, you've got a problem. - Larry Wall
    39. Re:$129?!?!?! by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 2

      If you didn't ask for the features and you don't want the features, then what's the problem?

      And why do you suppose 10.1.5 won't be supported? Because you just learned that Microsoft has dropped support for Windows 95 and Windows 98?

    40. Re:$129?!?!?! by Creepy · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I picked up XP Pro OEM for $129 with a $90 motherboard, which was quite a bit cheaper than buying XP off the shelf (I also picked up a new $300 graphics card, but that wasn't required for the OEM pricing -- retail versions were ~$280 through the cheap sites and $299 at Best Buy).

      There are quite a few features that can be added to make OS X a lot better. Native IPSEC, for instance, so I can forward ESP packets on my firewall without using a NAT hack. I wouldn't mind an update to several of the programs on the BSD layer, as well, as some of the files are based on FreeBSD stuff that is 3-4 years out of date.

      My favorite OS X feature is the free developer tools. Metrowerks $300+ compilers was eating up a good chunk of my yearly bonus. Still, much cheaper than M$ Visual Studio at $600+.

    41. Re:$129?!?!?! by sethdelackner · · Score: 1

      Aha! Just found the coupon sheet. It was inside one of the plastic bags that had the "Welcome to OS X" book in it. I figured it was just a bland "see the mouse click. Click, mouse, click." new user guides.

      So the next question is, does this coupon actually affect the price at all?

    42. Re:$129?!?!?! by King+Babar · · Score: 2
      you can get a brand new retail inkjet printer for less than the upgrade price of $129. Maybe you want a new printer and not the upgrade. Buying a more compatible one this time around should save you headaches down the road.

      Actually, 10.2 does fix USB printing as has now been pointed out. But I don't want to get a brand new printer since the old one works just fine, was a Mac-compatible (recommended even!) USB printer, and worked perfectly under Mac OS 9. Unless the CUPS stuff is also made available under 10.1.5, though, the only Apple-blessed way to get USB print sharing working again will be to upgrade, and probably upgrade both boxes. Which is the source of my pain...

      --

      Babar

    43. Re:$129?!?!?! by JoeBlows · · Score: 1

      so in this case, you are sticking with the Windows 95 of the mac world over the Windows 2k of the mack world....OHHHHH-KAYYYY

      --
      True capitalism = lots of similar companies = jobs for everyone who wants one.
    44. Re:$129?!?!?! by JoeBlows · · Score: 1

      what is wrong with 50% profit? most manufactured goods, out side the PC industry, are at a minimum, a 40 % profit, but to be a good product, you want a 60-70% profit.

      the PC industry will consolidate in a few years, then you will see PC prices rise to a more sustainable profit margin...like 20-35%.

      --
      True capitalism = lots of similar companies = jobs for everyone who wants one.
    45. Re:$129?!?!?! by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      wow, really? i used to work at compUSA, and whenever quake 3 was sold @ best buy for $20 less than retail, the manager made us take it off the shelves and tell customers we didn't have it in stock, b/c we advertisec we'd meet anyone's price if you brought in the ad. this happened every saturday with some product.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    46. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      but that's not really a fair comparison. That's more akin to MacOS 8 -> MacOS X.

      Not really. Practically nobody upgrade to SE or ME. The people who had them got them with new boxes. And if you bought your box from one of the major vendors within the last few months before XP was released you probably also got a coupon for a free upgrade. My friend got one from his Dell laptop.

      The $129 install will install on a bare hard drive. Try that with WinXP...

      Um ok. I have done it several times. What is your point. The XP Upgrade allows encourages you to install on a fresh hard drive. You just need a Windows 98 disk handy (or 2K,ME, etc.)

    47. Re:$129?!?!?! by fgodfrey · · Score: 2

      That's odd. I walked into the Apple Store in the Mall of America and said "Hi, I need the 10.1 upgrade" and got handed the package and was in and out of the store (without paying, I might add) within 5 minutes. It would have been shorter but I had to stop and drool over the large flat panel display...

      --
      Go Badgers! -- #include "std/disclaimer.h"
    48. Re:$129?!?!?! by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      huzzah. i'll second that. problem is, you'd need an agp slot and a pci slot. old pizza boxes only had one expansion slot. (video on board). they also consumed so little electricity that the powersupply was cool to the touch, negating a fan (which creates noise + the need for more space).....

      they do however sell an xserve, or whatever the hell it's called.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    49. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Still, much cheaper than M$ Visual Studio at $600+.

      Of course you could just download the free .NET compilers from Microsoft and code the old fashioned way - notedpad.

    50. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No problem, just send the $130 yearly to Microsoft. They'll treat you well.

      Or you could just use Windows 2000 and Slackware like I have for the last several years. Actually, I am probably going the LFS route on my server soon which is even cheaper than Slackware (I typically buy my distributions).

    51. Re:$129?!?!?! by blindauer · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wow, it turns out that, all this time, Apple's really just been interested in making money. The bastards.

      --
      --Bradley
    52. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does Apple still support OS 7? That would be the equivalent of Windows 95.

    53. Re:$129?!?!?! by 1010011010 · · Score: 1


      I could just put legs on an Xserve, and use it as my desk. "Desktop? Yes, the whole thing."

      --
      Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
    54. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ads is one option or they could do like Hotmail and limit the mailbox size for free users. How about making storage and web hosting an extra? There are a million and one things they could have done. This is the problem with all of these "free" companies. They started out with everything free and then went with everything pay. There has to be a middle ground somewhere in there.

      I also have pointed out many times that if you charge $2 per month you might get 5 times as many people to sign up. The incremental cost is not that significant. I know that there are tons of websites that I would pay $2/month for but instead pay nothing. That really is basic economics.

    55. Re:$129?!?!?! by sandman935 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Back up...

      98 to 98SE was FREE. I got the disk directly from Microsoft for the cost of shipping and the CD... $7.

      --

      Defecation occurs.
    56. Re:$129?!?!?! by weewilly · · Score: 1

      I don't know I seriously doubt it thought.

    57. Re:$129?!?!?! by j-beda · · Score: 2
      So then do you suggest that apple offer a .mac service so long as they load it up with ads? They have to make money off it somehow!

      A very strong arguement can be made that no matter how they price the .mac service it is going to be an Apple add all the time. Every email sent and web page built with a mac.com address is in essence an advertisement for Apple. I think that providing a minimal free or extrememly cheap ($5-10 per year for example) service in addition to the premium one would be the best way to leverage this advertising budget.

      Trying to make money from your advertising is tricky business and can backfire big time.

    58. Re:$129?!?!?! by sandman935 · · Score: 1

      One more reason not to shop at CompUSA. Thanx.

      --

      Defecation occurs.
    59. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Then you got X.1 for free and all the updates with it.
      Only if you were quick enough to get it before the cutoff date. If you waited too long (past January 31, 2002), no free upgrade for you.
    60. Re:$129?!?!?! by Master+Bait · · Score: 2
      The new OSX package looks very nice. Display it on your bookshelf and imagine of yourself on safari! The new spotted X logo (tm) looks very nice. The new eye candy on your screen might look about the same, but it still looks very nice. Doesn't that new iChat look very nice? Everything looks very nice. When you look at things this way, $129 for everything looking very nice -- the very nice core of your comfortable home's Digital Hub -- is cheap, isn't it?

      --
      "Only in their dreams can men truly be free 'twas always thus, and always thus will be."
      --Tom Schulman
    61. Re:$129?!?!?! by Martin+Blank · · Score: 2

      This isn't something that I ever saw. What I did see was the Windows 98 update CD that included the service pack and the security patches to that point, and I think also IE5.

      --
      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
    62. Re:$129?!?!?! by Martin+Blank · · Score: 2

      Correction:

      Microsoft has terminated support for Windows 95. Windows 98 and 98SE will be supported through the end of June, 2003, almost a year away. Yes, it's a bit short considering the number of people still running Win98, but it is still supported.

      --
      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
    63. Re:$129?!?!?! by Peyna · · Score: 2

      Actually with the XP Pro upgrade CD I believe you needed a 2k cd, you weren't allowed to 'upgrade' from 98, or ME, and maybe not even NT 4 and less. I'd have to check to be sure about the exact rules, but it was pretty restrictive as far as where you could update from. With 2000 you could stick in a win 95 cd and 'update' to 2000.

      --
      What?
    64. Re:$129?!?!?! by Hythlodaeus · · Score: 1

      According to the developers of Shadowbane, there are bug fixes in Jaguar that make the game's OpenGL performance much smoother. Probably a lot of other little things too.

      I'd be happy for Apple to keep their gee-whiz $100 itunes update to themselves and just release the bug fixes.

      --
      For great justice.
    65. Re:$129?!?!?! by neuroticia · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Er. no.

      If we're comparing Apples to Microsofts, then the correct analogy would be that I'm sticking with Windows3.11 AFTER purchasing Windows95 and finding it un-useable because it a.) crashed b.) wouldn't run any of my programs without me spending multiple-hundreds of dollars to re-buy, crossgrade, or upgrade. and c.) had a non-functional GUI that irritated me to death.

      Windows3.11-Windows95 was worth it, Windows95-2k was worth it, and Windows2k-XP was worth it. OS 9-OS X WILL be worth it once it's a functional OS and makes up for its shortcomings.

      OS10.1-OS10.2 IS NOT worth the $130 they are asking for it. It is NOT a new version of an OS, even if it might be the first complete version of the 'beta' releases they've been trying to sell off as 'real'.

      I think the numbers speak for themselves--only 20 percent of Mac users have upgraded.. No.. wait. That's their PROJECTED CONVERSION RATE for 24 months of release. Something like 77% of users who bought a computer *with the OS installed* left it installed.

      -Sara

    66. Re:$129?!?!?! by shotfeel · · Score: 1

      Care to provide any evidence for any other new OS being adopted faster?

      What percentage of Windows users are running XP?

    67. Re:$129?!?!?! by sandman935 · · Score: 1

      The 98SE CD came with IE4, not IE5.

      --

      Defecation occurs.
    68. Re:$129?!?!?! by kalidasa · · Score: 1

      Actually with the XP Pro upgrade CD I believe you needed a 2k cd, you weren't allowed to 'upgrade' from 98, or ME, and maybe not even NT 4 and less.

      Wrong. I upgraded from ME to XP Pro at the upgrade price of $199. Of course, it sounds like the price to upgrade from OS X 10.1.5 to OS X 10.2 is going to be a lot lower than that $129 pricetag, so I'm happy with my Mac, too.

    69. Re:$129?!?!?! by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 1

      I'd be happy for Apple to keep their gee-whiz $100 itunes update to themselves and just release the bug fixes.

      The iTunes update isn't $100. It's free. Also, iCal and iSync will be free. None of those are part of Jaguar.

    70. Re:$129?!?!?! by hime · · Score: 1

      Not to be contrary, but I really think 98 was a MAD improvement over 95. SFC, improved defrag, regscan, there's tons of stuff in there to fix things. At least from a tech support guy's standpoint, it's miles better (I was one at the time).

    71. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      10.2 contains critical bug fixes, such as fixing the window server's maniacal precendence in multithreading. That bug is one of the reasons multitrack audio is nearly impossible in OS X unless you and your application don't touch the GUI at all. Luckily I get OS X updates for free since I shelled out $500 for a select ADC membership. Still, this plus the "pay us $100 or lose all your email" schtick is really piss poor treatment of customers. Frankly, for a computer company so based around design Apple really has little idea about improving their own image. I've been growing tired of SJ's "piss on your customers" attitude lately and I'm just waiting for the day when switching to Linux becomes feasible. I'm betting it'll be about 2 to 3 years.

    72. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "M$ Visual Studio at $600+."

      Assuming you want all that VB... junk

      Microsoft Visual C++ .NET 179.99 CAD which is about 120.00 USD. So no its not overpriced, and MS Visual C++ does kick the living shit out of any other IDE...

    73. Re:$129?!?!?! by marcmcn · · Score: 1

      As a current user of OS X 10.1 I am quite annoyed that I will have to pay $129 to get OS X 10.2. I have only had 10.1 for less than 1 year and I like it, but having to spend again for the 'new' OS has me about to dump my powerbook. Plus, the .Mac initiative that costs between $49 -> $99 to keep my mac.com email address, wonderful (not!). I am one of the newly switched and I feel screwed by this pocket digging. If Apple does not amend this 'change' I will be one of the 'switch-backs'.

    74. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are also getting a geforce4 mx and another 20 gigs of HD for that 200 bucks

    75. Re:$129?!?!?! by Verizon+Guy · · Score: 1

      If getting that girl who lost her homework on a PC in bed entails switching to a Mac, well... so be it!

      --

      Aw, fuck it. Let's go bowling. - The Big Lebowski

    76. Re:$129?!?!?! by dalamcd · · Score: 1
      I think the numbers speak for themselves--only 20 percent of Mac users have upgraded..

      Have you checked the numbers of users who've upgraded to Windows XP?

      dalamcd

      --
      moer liek CELtroid prime!!@1!
    77. Re:$129?!?!?! by Dechah · · Score: 1

      Don't Mac users carry wallets like the rest of us? :-)

      _____________________________________________

      Only if you just bought your mac in the last month or so. The rest of us are expected to bend over and grab our ankles then cough up the money if we want to be supported in the future.

    78. Re:$129?!?!?! by analog_line · · Score: 2

      Well, then just give me the powerbook now, because they're not going to change it. They're not going to back down because people are pissed about it. I seriously doubt that they're stupid enough to think that no one would be pissed once they announced it. They probably figured that the benefit outweighed the cost, same as every other company makes business decisions.

    79. Re:$129?!?!?! by dalamcd · · Score: 1
      Mmm. Apple was supporting 2.2 million users (this was the number mentioned in the keynote today) each with 25 megs of space. 5 for the email, 20 for the iDisk. That's 55,000 gigabytes, or 55 terabytes worth of space they weren't charging for. (I just woke up and I've never been good at math, so if my numbers are way off, I apologise. Any way you slice it, though, it's a ton of space.)
      I'm not at all surprised it's no longer free.

      As for the price of 10.2, just wait. I'm quite sure there'll be some sort of upgrade price.

      Pocket-digging my pasty white ass. They're charging for stuff they've worked hard on, and furthermore are releasing half of it for free if you don't want a GUI (and those apps that depend on one). Christ on TOAST, man. They provide, for free, great apps that a lot of people use. They make great hardware and, yeah, charge a bit more for it, just like any other business.

      Bah. They're not Microsoft, they operate differently. Some things will be cheaper on the Mac (Project Builder vs. whatever Visual Studio .NET.asp), some things will be more expensive (like the hardware), and some things will be the same (Quicktime vs. WMV), but it'll never be the same across the boards and you can bet your house that if it were, people would complain one of them not being a trendsetter, or God knows what.

      dalamcd

      I did say I just got up, right?

      please be kind to me
      --
      moer liek CELtroid prime!!@1!
    80. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sorry that 10.1 wasn't free *for you*. it was for me, from compusa in san antonio, texas.

    81. Re:$129?!?!?! by DavidRavenMoon · · Score: 2
      Don't let them lie to you. 10.1 was not free I don't have a newer mac, I couldn't afford it unless I sold all my cameras, but I went hunting with my buddy for 10.1 for his shiny G4 tower. You're supposed to be able to bring a proof of purchase into an apple retailer and get a 10.1 cd.

      If you had 10.0, you got a sheet with three coupons on it. That's all you needed. I mailed one in to Apple with 19.95 and got the CD.

      I also walked into CompUSA and asked them for the update and got one with no proof of purchase, for free, although one of those coupons would have been the all the proof needed.

      --
      -- if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic - Lewis Carrol
    82. Re:$129?!?!?! by DavidRavenMoon · · Score: 2
      Alas, you are correct. It looks like they still have not fixed all the printing bugs.

      Gee, I don't know. My Epson Stylus Photo 870 works great with OS X. It worked the first time I set it up and has worked fine for the past year. Zero problems. What bugs are you talking about? Maybe you have a printer with no driver? That's not a bug.

      Also, I was at the Expo today, and 10.2 is MUCH faster... It felt like I was using OS 9, only smoother! This thing rocks.

      --
      -- if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic - Lewis Carrol
    83. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Excuse me, but I carry a carry-all designed in Europe. No, it is *not* a handbag.

    84. Re:$129?!?!?! by DavidRavenMoon · · Score: 3, Informative
      Or if you've already used the THREE upgrade coupons that come with your mac when you buy it...

      Why would you have used all three? And on what?

      My G4 came with OS 9.0.4. I was able to get 9.1 with a coupon, but not OS X.

      So I bought OS X 10.0, and used one of the three coupons in that to get 10.1.

      You can not go from 10.1.x to 10.2 for $19.95 unless you just bought a new Mac that came with 10.1 and has the coupons. I heard the words come from Steve Jobs' mouth myself. So the left over coupons are useless anyway.

      But then Windows 95 to Windows 98 was a paid update, and it's still Windows 4...

      --
      -- if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic - Lewis Carrol
    85. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple is a faggot computer. If you are a butt pirate who sails the Hershey Highway, then Apple is for you.

    86. Re:$129?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, you need to check your math. Because most (95%) users use only mail, not iDisk. So that's lots of gigabites down from your figure. Also, those using iDisk don't top their usage.

      Do you really believe, that Apple has enough storage for every signed iTools user? Do you also believe, that your ISP has bandwidth for every subscriber at top speed?

      P.S. Ever tried Darwin? It is not very usable. You better use Linux or *BSD, you will get more out of your box.

    87. Re:$129?!?!?! by dalamcd · · Score: 1
      Regardless, it's still a ton of space.

      And, I might add, just because it's unused doesn't mean they don't have to make the space (or a decently sized part of it) available.

      dalamcd

      --
      moer liek CELtroid prime!!@1!
    88. Re:$129?!?!?! by eyeball · · Score: 1

      Troll? Flainbait? Overrated? For fuck's sake, who made Steve Jobs a moderator?

      I think I had a *very* valid point. Pretend an OS is a car engine, the computer is the rest of the car: now, what if Toyota said "ok, we just came out with a new engine. This one has new feature x, y, and z. You'll love it. Ok, it only costs 10% of the cost of your car."

      No problem so far. I can take it or leave it.

      Now, what if they said "Oh, by the way, we won't be making any more parts for the older engines."

      What are you going to do? If you stick with the old engine and something breaks, you're screwed. You're ultimately strong-armed into getting a new one.

      So what I'm talking about is a software vender that no longer supports older versions of their OS's (or any software for that matter), and as a result forces their users into buying new versions.

      It would be really nice for software licensees to start preasuring companies to modularize their software enough so that individual components could be supported (and possibly even sold) separately.

      --

      _______
      2B1ASK1
  2. so I have to pay? by laserjet · · Score: 2, Troll

    So, I have an iBook. I got the iBook with OS 9 and OS X preloaded because Apple knew OS X was not quite good enough yet for sole use of that OS. I basically tested the software for Apple, and it does have some bugs, and it quite a bit slower than OS 9.

    Now I have to pay to get an updated version?

    --
    Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    1. Re:so I have to pay? by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 2, Informative

      The upgrade to OS X will cost $19.99 - only if you want the CD for it (I'm assuming it's a CD(s) with minimum documentation).

      If you walk into an Apple store you'll get it for free, or if you really want to download it (through Software Update or otherwise) that will probably work as well.

    2. Re:so I have to pay? by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 3, Informative

      Or I could be wrong - this is what they did last time for OS 10.1, and I'm not seeing anything like this for 10.2.

      My apologies for shooting off my mouth and "assuming facts not in evidence".

    3. Re:so I have to pay? by dair · · Score: 2, Informative

      The $20 charge was only for people who've bought new hardware recently (possibly from today until the release). Everyone else will be paying full price, at least going by what was said today.

      -dair

    4. Re:so I have to pay? by mh_tang · · Score: 1

      An article on the New York Times today might shed some light on this.

      http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/17/technology/17APP L.html

      Free reg here

      Apparently Apple has not done so well financially for the 3rd quarter. Revenue is down 3 percent, worldwide PC sales in general are declining, the market is weak, and they had to lay off 7 percent of their employees in Sacramento. My guess is that they're looking for cash.

    5. Re:so I have to pay? by RealTC · · Score: 1

      Well actually thats not entirely true about OS X not being quite good enough for sole use on a Mac, in fact OS X is quite good and stable, more stable than OS 9x. Its because there are more titles for OS9 than OSX that OS9 co-exists with OSX.
      I mean to say, I dont think Apple would want to upset their customers by just shipping OS X with new macs and basically telling them "Sorry, you cannot run this app under OS X because it hasn't been ported yet".

    6. Re:so I have to pay? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There was mention of a $19 update for certain cases, which you may fall under.

      Also, it's not so much that 10 *can't* be used for everything because of bugs, but more that there's so much software for 9 out there, and the compatability for that depends on a working 9 install.

      Oh, and all the old time users that want/need 9 for whatever reason (like audio software).

    7. Re:so I have to pay? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, you're fucking hillarious!

      (moron)

    8. Re:so I have to pay? by Halo1 · · Score: 3, Flamebait
      Mac OS X had some bugs? No kidding. I'll tell you a secret, but make sure you don't tell it to anyone else: Mac OS X 10.2 will also have bugs! And 10.3, 10.4, 10.5 and whatever comes next also!! That's the case with every OS or application you'll ever buy. And it's not like the bugs in OS X were that numerous and intrusive they made the OS unusable (at least not for most people). If they were for you, then why on earth did you use it? Because Jobs said it was time to switch?

      The main reason they still included Mac OS 9 was simply that a lot of people buying macs also had a Mac in the past and those people want to be able to still run older programs, which haven't (yet) been ported to Mac OS X, on their new computer. Backward compatibility, you know.

      Finally, yes, the current/previous versions of Mac OS X are/were quite a bit slower than Mac OS 9 (although not in all regards, e.g. disk performance is already a lot better than in 9; it's mainly the GUI responsiveness imho), but otoh Mac OS X keeps getting faster and faster (and I hope 10.2 will solve this, for me, final issue). I for one am glad they first worked on stability and only then on optimizations. The way they're doing it now, you can really use the computer under OS X (I've barely booted in Mac OS 9 anymore since even Mac OS X Public Beta); if they'd done it the other way round, you'd be bitching even more I think.

      Jonas

      --
      Donate free food here
    9. Re:so I have to pay? by lunenburg · · Score: 3, Informative

      I think you might be - what I took from the keynote was that the $20 upgrade pricing is ONLY for people who buy new Mac hardware between today and 8/24. Anyone else will have to pay the $129.

    10. Re:so I have to pay? by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Hm...time to get KaZaa and download the iso :0.

    11. Re:so I have to pay? by CynicTheHedgehog · · Score: 3, Informative

      It's $20.00 only if you purchase your iBook on or after July 17, 2002 (today). So people like me, who bought one two months ago, are screwed.

    12. Re:so I have to pay? by u2zoo · · Score: 1

      or you could just use one of the three free upgrade cards you got with your new apple at some point... i've got 6 of those lying around. (they've been doing this for years....)

    13. Re:so I have to pay? by peterpi · · Score: 0
      Yep, you have to pay.

      Welcome to the world of proprietary software.

    14. Re:so I have to pay? by laserjet · · Score: 1

      Well, no shit everything has bugs. But in my opionion, OS X did not feel like a polished product that I would release as a stable release. It had more bugs than I thought was acceptable. Don't be such a smart ass.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    15. Re:so I have to pay? by GarfBond · · Score: 2, Informative
      I don't think so. Anyone who bought a mac before *today* is probably going to have to pay full price (almost like you never bought OS X to begin with).

      According to the Apple UpToDate site, you can pay the $19.95 upgrade for users who bought a mac after July 17, 2002, or today. Chances are you can go into an Apple Store, show proof of purchase, and get the 10.2 disc, but that might not be possible since it seems like they're restricting the upgrade pool.

      From what I remember, this is different from what they did with 10.1 (another pretty significant upgrade). I think 10.1 authorized everyone who bought OS X to get an upgrade, but I might be wrong. I do remember walking into CompUSA and seeing a stand full of 10.1 upgrade disks though.

    16. Re:so I have to pay? by laserjet · · Score: 1, Troll

      Good christ, why am I being modded down as a TROLL?

      I am serious about this. Why should I have to pay the full $129 for a feature enhancement and bug fix release? OS 10.1.5 still has bigs that need to be worked on. It is not my fault they didn't release a quality product, but I am being asked to pay for it if I want future support.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    17. Re:so I have to pay? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because it is not a bug fix enhancement release.

      Have you read the list of features added? The windows vpn network capability alone is worth $129. The mail client plays with exchange. These additions put the mac on a level playing field with a windows box.

    18. Re:so I have to pay? by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      Good christ, why am I being modded down as a TROLL?

      Because you're trying to pick a fight. No company can stay in business by continuing to fix flaws in software that people bought and paid for long ago. At some point, you have to draw the line and say, ``Okay, OS X 10.1 is finished. It's time to move on to 10.2.'' Every software company does this. There's no practical alternative to this practice. So you're just complaining for the sake of complaining. That's trolling, and some people don't appreciate it.

      If I'd seen your post before I posted myself, you would have gotten a Troll point from me, too.

    19. Re:so I have to pay? by Oculus+Habent · · Score: 2

      Bug fixes have been free for some time. That's what 10.1.x was. This is completely consistant with Apple's Numbering/Release methods. Consider:

      System 7. 7.0.1 was free bug fix. System 7.1 was another release. System 7.5 was a relase, but 7.5.1 - 7.5.5 were free updates. System 7.6 was a pay version, but 7.6.1 was a free update.

      MacOS 8, 8.1, 8.5, 8.6 were all sold, while 8.0.1, 8.5.1, 8.6.1 were are free updates. MacOS 9 and 9.1 were sold (9.2 is included with 10) and 9.0.1 was a free update.

      When X came out, 10.0 was updated through 10.0.4. 10.1 was updated to 10.1.5. This is the way Apple has been doing it for years.

      Microsoft does it, too. We paid for Win2k (NT 5), and we paid for XP (NT 5.1). Windows 3.1 -> Win 3.11 was a paid upgrade.

      The only issues I have are the poor fools (myself included) that bought MacOS X beta (~$40), then MacOS X (~$130) then the 10.1 upgrade (~$10 shipping) and now 10.2 is a kick in the teeth.

      --
      That what was all this school was for... to teach us how to solve our own problems. -- janeowit
    20. Re:so I have to pay? by usr122122121 · · Score: 5, Funny
      And 10.3, 10.4, 10.5 and whatever comes next also!
      by my calculations, 10.6

      you make some very good points.

      --

      -braxton
    21. Re:so I have to pay? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah, cause, you know, Microsoft never charges for their software that runs on an "open" platform.

      More like, welcome to real life, where people need to get paid for doing something so they can eat.

    22. Re:so I have to pay? by appletalking · · Score: 1

      Ah, but there was a free update from OS 8 to 8.1, from OS 8.5 to 8.6, and from OS 9 to 9.1 and then 9.2. I can't remember if you had to pay to go from OS 7.5 to 7.6 or not, but the fact remains that the vast majority of decimal point releases have been free upgrades.

      Even if Apple wanted to charge for this particular update, they shouldn't charge OS X users the full price. Heck, Microsoft didn't make everyone buy the FULL version of XP when it came out, did they? They have the upgrade version and the full version, with the upgrades priced ~$100 cheaper. If Apple were to charge existing OS X users half price ($65) for Jaguar, then I think there would be substantially fewer complaints. There's no reason people should have to buy another FULL version of OS X when they already have one; in other words, existing users are paying the same price as users who are installing OS X for the first time.

      Just my two cents.
      Nick

    23. Re:so I have to pay? by pi+radians · · Score: 2

      The only issues I have are the poor fools (myself included) that bought MacOS X beta (~$40), then MacOS X (~$130) then the 10.1 upgrade (~$10 shipping) and now 10.2 is a kick in the teeth.

      Umm, hate to tell you this, but there WAS a discount for everyone who bought the Beta then had to get the first version. Just because you missed you chance (due to ignorance or just plain laziness) doesn't mean Apple ripped you off.

      --

      sin(6cos(r)+5A)
    24. Re:so I have to pay? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On every TV show I watch, every day, and several times per show I see a Switch commercial.

      You're paying for that right now.

    25. Re:so I have to pay? by Wakko+Warner · · Score: 2

      No company can stay in business by continuing to fix flaws in software that people bought and paid for long ago. At some point, you have to draw the line and say, ``Okay, OS X 10.1 is finished. It's time to move on to 10.2.''

      Really? Weird. I can still get current service packs for Windows NT 4 for free.

      - A.P.

      --
      "Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
    26. Re:so I have to pay? by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      And I'm sure Apple will continue releasing important bugfixes for 10.1, just as they have for OS 9. The crux of the matter lies in one's definition of ``important.''

    27. Re:so I have to pay? by jaseman21 · · Score: 1

      You are practically paying for a new OS, that's why? Just LOOK at some of the features that are being added. Did you even read any of the keynote???

    28. Re:so I have to pay? by DaDigz · · Score: 1

      Ummm... So what about those (me) that bought new mac hardware (iBook) less than a week ago?

      --
      Those who will sacrifice Freedom and Security will get Windows...
    29. Re:so I have to pay? by lunenburg · · Score: 1

      I would imagine that, unless Apple comes out with another promotion for current 10.1.x users, or you can sweet-talk one of their sales reps, that you're "screwed". :-/

    30. Re:so I have to pay? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      return it. tell them you're having some kind of problem with it, and get a new one.

    31. Re:so I have to pay? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OS 8.1 Updater = Free (from 8 to 8.1)
      OS 8.5.1 & 8.6 Updaters = Free (from 8.5 to 8.6)
      OS 9.1, 9.2.1, 9.2.2 Updaters = Free (from 9 to 9.2.2)

      No such thing as 8.0.1 or 9.0.1.

  3. No. by hexdcml · · Score: 1
    No, you don't HAVE to pay. OS 10.1.5 is pretty good. I wouldn't say its buggy as, say.. my Windows 98 machine with ALL the patches installed, its still like a leaky boat. Jaguar is essentially like Windows 98 SE - it's got way more stuff. And like Steve said, at $129 - thats like $1 per feature/bug fix. I dunno. I'd still wait until I'm forced to update. Still, I don't mind the Jaguar price tag.

    It's the $99 iTools (.mac) which I'm not happy about. and what about people on the other side of the pond? how do we purchase this? I've been to the site, but it's sitll under construction and things are still quite buggy.

    BTW, anyone had sucess d/l iTunes3? that looks darn kewl.

    --
    Fight Crime - Shoot Back!
    1. Re:No. by laserjet · · Score: 2

      I am aware of that, but I am still pissed because I, and many Mac users, don't consider OS X to be a "finished product". It doesn't feel solid.

      For instance, I have that f&cking beach-ball cursor pop up sometimes for 15 seconds for no apparent reason. I have 384 Megs of RAM, which should be sufficient to run 2 apps at the same time.

      OS X feels slow and unresponsive sometimes. I have no data to support this, but OS X users know what I mean when comparing it to OS 9.

      It just feels like a beta product to me. I am upset that I have to pay to get the next upgrade version. This is NOT a new OS, this is a .2 update. I am starting to feel like being in the Microsoft trap when it comes to my laptop.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    2. Re:No. by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      Your experience is not typical. I work with many Macs, all running 10.1.4 or 10.1.5, and I don't see the ``spinning beachball'' problem that you're describing. It used to happen in 10.0.n, but I haven't seen it for a long time.

      I think you might look into what's wrong with your system before you jump to the conclusion that the OS must be faulty.

    3. Re:No. by iamiuru · · Score: 1

      You have to be kidding me? You havent had the beach ball spin for a while? I have 1152 MB of RAM and I see the beachball all day long. If you dont see it a few times a day then you are either using only a few programs at a time or the apps that you are running are not taxing your machine (which is a good thing). But like I said with a gig of RAM i see the ball plenty of times a day.

      --
      That is your ass, and this over here is your elbow, and NO they ARE NOT the same thing.
    4. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think your apps may be at fault. I have only .5GB RAM on my 667 Ti running 10.1.5 and the only time I see the beachball is when I am using Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer locks it's whole process when I do things like change the formatting of the /. comments. Maybe I'm not stressing the machine enough. Right now I have XDarwin open, Xemacs, OmniWeb, IE, Project Builder, Inberface Builder, Mail, iTunes, and Terminal.app running in the dock. I have a MySQL process that is being filled with data by a java app as well. Doing this stuff (admittedly none of which is crazily compute-, but fairly memory-intensive), I only see that damn beachball cause of IE.

    5. Re:No. by King+Babar · · Score: 2
      Your experience is not typical. I work with many Macs, all running 10.1.4 or 10.1.5, and I don't see the ``spinning beachball'' problem that you're describing. It used to happen in 10.0.n, but I haven't seen it for a long time.

      Clearly 10.1.5 is vastly improved over 10.0.anything, not to mention the Public "Beta", but there is no doubt that beachball spinning does still occur. Not that often, mind you, but I think the problem here is that you, the user cannot predict when you'll do something that will put you into the "spin cycle". With older versions of the OS, it wasn't tough to know when you'd see the watch cursor or why.

      My anecdotal evidence is that beachball sightings are much more common with G3 than G4 computers, and much more likely if you have less than 512MB of RAM.

      Frankly, it doesn't bug me that much, but I can't call the phenomenon "atypical".

      --

      Babar

    6. Re:No. by dubiousmike · · Score: 1

      I can say that having worked for software companies for the past 5 years, that NO ONE wants to pay that much for a point release. If OS X.2 was really that ladden with new features, it would be OS Y or whatever they'll call the next one.

      At the least, this was a pretty big mistake by Apple's marketing/sales department. Simply put, paid point releases piss people off.

      How's that for alliteration?

    7. Re:No. by laserjet · · Score: 2

      Exactly. ANd I have the lastest 10.1.5 installed, and a pretty freshly installed system. This is not MY fault. It is Apples. That god damned beach ball is a problem that most OS X users hate.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    8. Re:No. by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      I don't know what to tell you except ``nuh-uh.'' There's something wrong with your system. You might check to see that your DNS stuff is configured correctly; maybe you're running into lookupd timeouts or something like that. Make sure the settings under the Network pane of System Preferences are all correct.

      Also, are you using NFS? I've seen the Finder lock up as you describe when trying to contact an AWOL NFS server.

      I'm sorry to have to tell you that this is simply not a common problem.

    9. Re:No. by laserjet · · Score: 2

      My DNS stuff works fine, I have my own internal wireless network with the wireless router acting as a DHCP server. My network settings are all correct, trust me. This is not just me, I have seen hundreds of people complain about this.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    10. Re:No. by TedCheshireAcad · · Score: 5, Funny

      OS 10.1.5
      PowerBook G4
      Everything Configured correctly.
      Still have the beachball.
      Quietly, I weep.

    11. Re:No. by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      Hundreds? That sounds like an exaggeration. Can you back that up in any way?

    12. Re:No. by telbij · · Score: 2

      There are so many things about OS X that are so far superior to OS 9, that I just don't buy the idea that it feels like an 'unfinished product'. From a work perspective (Web Design & Development) OS X gives me an unparalleled platform that makes me literally twice as productive. I felt like the 10.1 update was definitely necessary and was glad that they offered it for free. I won't mind paying for 10.2, however, because I'm totally happy with 10.1, and 10.2 seems to have gobs of new features.

    13. Re:No. by laserjet · · Score: 2

      Absolutely. Go to the Mac forum on Ars Technica, the various support Forums on Apples' own website, and Usenet archives (All of which I frequent). Do a search for beach ball. I am not exagerating.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    14. Re:No. by laserjet · · Score: 2

      Well, let me know when you are using some of them. When you get your bluetooth phone and your bluetooth PDA talking to your bluetooth printer.

      And also let me know when you atart getting spam with Quicktime 6 embedded in your emails, because that's a new feature too.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    15. Re:No. by Alexander · · Score: 1

      I don't mean to but in here, but as I understand it most of the "beach ball" is mainly a function of threading, not your RAM or applications (FYI I, too have 1 gig of RAM on my Pismo and see it, but hardly ever page). It's my impression (after talking to someone on the original Rhapsody team) that it is a function of either the finder not being completely multi-threaded (fixed in 10.2?) or the app itself, particularly a Carbon app (ie 5 comes to mind very quickly).

      384 should be sufficient depending on the processor. IMHO Apple has/had no business releasing the 500mhz G3 ibooks - I've used one of those as a daily driver and a 500 mhz Pismo. World of difference, but still second class compared to a G4. Really, it's my experience that 10.1.x so far isn't really usable on any g3 based platform 600 mhz or so depending on RAM and applications. G4s seemed to be a totally different world. It's better than running 95 on a 486, running 10.1.x on a g3 has been something akin to my exp. running NT 4 on a 200 mhz Pentium. Usable with RAM, but you pine for the big processor.

      Frankly, I'll be very disappointed if 10.1.x users don't get the free update with a trip to an apple store, and don't like the fact that it's going to cost me $8 per month to keep my .mac email address.

      --
      "oohhh... I didn't know Schopenhauer was a philosopher!" ..."uhhh yeah, he's the one that begins with
    16. Re:No. by BlameFate · · Score: 1

      You could try going in to the energy saver settings in system preferences and setting your HD to never shut off; it helps on the spinning "beach ball" (optical disc).

      --

      --is not to be confused with user #672982 - Bame Flait

    17. Re:No. by adamjaskie · · Score: 1

      They will probably call it OS XI

      --
      /usr/games/fortune
    18. Re:No. by rworne · · Score: 1
      The beach ball is (in my case) caused by applications. Internet Explorer does this frequently when reading Slashdot in OS X. The beach ball will go away if you switch to another application.

      I have not had the beach ball cause me problems under the Finder unless I am connecting to a slow-ass computer on a network with tons of files. And when the Finder does this, life begins to suck.

      Methinks you have a misbehaving/inefficient application. When I see a persistent beach ball I switch to something else while the computer sorts itself out in the background.

      --
      I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
    19. Re:No. by TheCrazyFinn · · Score: 1

      G3/333 256Mb RAM, 9Gb UWSCSI, 40GB IDE. very usable.

      It's the drive that slows it down, put a fast SCSI drive in a G3 and it's just fine under 10.1.5. My G3 is about on par with my PC for general performance, despite it's much lower specs (Duron 600, ATi Radeon 7000, Win2K Pro).

      The Crazy Finn

      --
      "You've got an invalid haircut" -Warren Zevon - Life'll Kill Ya
    20. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Beware the Mac zealot, even when you're a Mac user. They'll deny that the sky appears blue on a sunny day, unless it comes down from the One True Jobs.

    21. Re:No. by MadMoonie · · Score: 1
      My DNS stuff works fine, I have my own internal wireless network with the wireless router acting as a DHCP server. My network settings are all correct, trust me.
      My dad had a similar setup, and he too had a beach ball problem. I turned off DHCP on his router and assigned him a static IP. The beach ball problem seemed to disappear, though I can't explain why. Maybe you should give that a go.
    22. Re:No. by piznut · · Score: 0

      I use to think it was my fault that Wind^H^H^H^H OS X didn't work properly.

    23. Re:No. by modecx · · Score: 1

      I can sympathize with you on this (and you are right, 'tis a very common complaint amongst OSX users.) I have 640 MB of RAM on my 500Mhz iBook, everything configured correctly, though I haven't had the chance to upgrade to the latest and greatest version of OSX yet. Damn Beach Ball. It's horrid when viewing slashdot on IE. On pages with larger posts, it creeps. I feel that most of my woes are due to IE being a bitch, etc. For whatever reason, IE makes my system use the page file more than it should, even though the physical ram is still pretty much untouched. Mozilla and Opera don't seem to have that problem so much, but Mozilla seems to render stuff strangely, and Opera doesn't work quite right all the time either (SSL and flash pages seem to give it a hard time)

      I even tried out the buffer compress feature on quartz (helped memory usage a tad, I'll admit), but I didn't notice any real change in real performance.

      The only thing I have been able to do to dramatically increase performance on my poor machine was to install Linux on it. X11 worked beautifully, network throughput skyrocketed compared to OSX, and best of all, it doesn't slow to a crawl when I'm trying to do something. If there existed an OS that was as efficient as the average Linux distro, and had the plugable functionality of OSX, I'd be all over it.

      --
      Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
    24. Re:No. by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      there's a spinning beachball? i thought they got rid of that in OS 9 or 8 or whatever. are you running one of those 233 g3 powerbooks with no L2 cache? that's probably your problem. they're notoriously slow.if your computer is slower than 400 mhz then consider your laptop at the end of it's useful product cycle and stick with the OS it was designed in mind for - OS 9. they just recently added support for rage 128 video cards in OS X.

      my 550mhz w/512 megs of ram only noticably lags when i'm reloading my 8 gig mp3 library in itun4es, or "normalizing the audio", somthing that uses all avalible extra cpu. maybe your laptop is a lemon, or your hard drive has sustained shock damage? there's a plethora of problems that can be causing your problem; but i assure you, it's not the OS.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    25. Re:No. by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      i think the problem is that his hard drive in his laptop has some bad sectors, specifically in the swap file area, which would cause this problem, specifically in a laptop.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    26. Re:No. by laserjet · · Score: 2

      Thank you for the suggestion. I will give it a try. I hope it is that simple.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    27. Re:No. by laserjet · · Score: 2

      No, actually I am running a 500MHz G3 iBook with 384 MB RAM. A lot of the problem is that IE is a hog on OS X for some reason.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    28. Re:No. by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      try using chimera or mozilla, or somthing else. IE is carbon and as a result runs like ass. chimera is pure cocoa (native OS X app) while Mozilla isn't entirely 100% cocoa, , it sure as hell runs a sight better than IE, which runs on a compatibility layer. i deleted IE some time ago. the G3 bit is going to hamper you considerably, as OS X is optimized for the G4. i'm running itunes, adium, cpu monitor, mozilla and terminal and i'm using 377 megs of ram (command "top -u" in the terminal) try and run only cocoa apps. CPU usage plummets and the computer is noticably faster. as a result, the computer doesn't have to access the carbon layer functions, and i rarely see cpu usage above 50%

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    29. Re:No. by jafac · · Score: 2

      My anecdotal evidence is that beachball sightings are much more common with G3 than G4 computers, and much more likely if you have less than 512MB of RAM.

      this is exactly why I upgraded my Beige G3 with a 500MHz G4 and 1 gig of RAM. Like magic! No more spinny beach ball!

      --

      These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
    30. Re:No. by shotfeel · · Score: 1

      The beachball problem is typically an application problem, not an OS problem. For example, I'll bet you have no problem switching to and using another app, but as soon as you switch back to "that app", you see tha ball again.

      The reason? That app has a process that hasn't finished and can't do anything else until its done. Usually happens with apps that run in a single thread. The OS is just nice enough to throw up the beach ball to let you know that app is busy because the application wasn't written to handle anything else until its done.

    31. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They should just have named it OSXP. Win2k = NT 5, WinXP = 5.1

  4. New iMac Designed With Ancient Mathematical Secret by Jonathan+Blocksom · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The wide-screen iMac specs page gives the native
    resolution of the 17" iMac as 1440x900. This is a 16:10 display ratio, which is about as
    close as any monitor I know of gets to the
    Golden Ratio, (1 + sqrt(5)/2), or approximately 1.618.

    Clearly Apple is trying to channel Pyramid Power
    to sell more computers.

  5. those mac commercials almost have me hypnotized... by edrugtrader · · Score: 2

    i was having some problems putting together a new cutting edge x86 system, and said fuck it. now i'm just pricing some G4s. apple, you have succeeded finally in convincing me to buy me first apple since my IIGS. (oh... you know i had the COLOR screen on that folks)

    --
    MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
  6. Pictures... by danamania · · Score: 2

    wow.

    All of a sudden this picture I did months ago seems all the more relevant...

    a grrl & her server

    1. Re:Pictures... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That would be a self-slashdotting . . .

  7. So what? by NiftyNews · · Score: 3, Funny

    "That's less than $1 for each major feature," he quipped."

    Bah, I can get Windows XP for only $99 and get thousands of bugs^H^H^H^Hfeatures for my money!

    1. Re:So what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Name one.

    2. Re:So what? by alexjohns · · Score: 1

      I'm still waiting for the 'pay by the feature' Windows. I wouldn't pay for the 'file losing' feature, the 'crash when you really, really don't want it to' feature, and the 'it takes forever to start up' feature. I guess I'll continue to run Win98 for my games and such until that version comes out. Anyone know when? Is that what .NET is all about?

    3. Re:So what? by strictnein · · Score: 2

      I wouldn't pay for the 'file losing' feature, the 'crash when you really, really don't want it to' feature, and the 'it takes forever to start up' feature. I guess I'll continue to run Win98 for my games and such until that version comes out.

      Well, if you'd stop using your Win98 box (and stop comparing it to OSX which is a stupid comparison) and upgrade to Win2k/XP you'd be all set.

      Been using Win2k/XP both for quite some time now, and I don't think I've ever crashed it. Also, I don't know what "file losing feature" you're describing. I've never had a file disappear on me, and I've been using Windows/MS-DOS since MS-DOS 5.5 was the latest thing (I've even read the MS-DOS 5.5 manual... but that's a different story).

      Also, as far as a slow boot up time. Recently purchased a P4/2.26GHz/512 DDR and the boot time is roughly 15 seconds, maybe less.

      The problem with a lot of people is that they like to compare something new with something old, and, strangely enough, the new thing is better lot of the time.

    4. Re:So what? by Patik · · Score: 1

      You're absolutely right. WinXP never crashes on me, and is very capable to withstanding unstable programs or memory hogs. And I think it looks just as good as OS X. The bug-ridden, unstable days of Windows are over, yet people still continue to bash. Maybe you should give it a shot first.

    5. Re:So what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ever try running applications on it?

      I Detest my Dell w2k box, hate it, hate it, hate it... Example Fire up photoshop, then Illustrator then try to use IE and Outlook.. It starts thrashing my HD like theres no tommorrow.. then Boom BSD... you would think I only had 640k installed instead of 512 meg...

      I have been watching those Switch TV Spots and really thinking about switching. Also it would be nice to have Unix again.

      Kim Dodge

    6. Re:So what? by alexjohns · · Score: 2
      I've got a 3-year old Pentium III-450. Tried running XP for a couple of weeks. It was slow and there was no way to get my scanner, graphics tablet, video capture card, or on-board sound card to work. Non-supported hardware. Oh, and my printer wasn't supported - Xerox Docuprint C20. Not supported. Tried it for a couple of weeks, then tried the 'go-back' uninstall. Didn't work. Had to reformat. Lost my Linux partition when I did that. Taught me my lesson.

      The post I was responding to was this one:

      "That's less than $1 for each major feature," he quipped."
      Bah, I can get Windows XP for only $99 and get thousands of bugs^H^H^H^Hfeatures for my money!

      Where in there or in my post was any comparison done to OS-X? And I don't mean to call you an idiot or anything, but why can't I compare one operating system to another? Seems like that's the whole fucking point. Did I miss a memo somewhere? My car is 6 years old. When deciding on whether I should buy a new one I can't compare it to the new one? I have to compare it only to all the new models out there? Can't compare it to the older ones or to one by a different manufacturer?

      As an aside, Windows 2000 is an entirely different operating system than XP. You shouldn't conflate them like that.

      If I have to buy a whole new PC to run XP then MS is going to have to wait a while to get my money. And aside from all that, nothing's really changed. Windows 95 was a big step up from Windows 3.1. The same way that 98 was a step up from 95. When the next version of Windows comes out, do you really think MS is going to say "Well, it's really not any better than XP. You don't need to upgrade." No fucking way. They'll say the same thing they've been saying about every version: "More stable. Fewer crashes. More this. Less that. Upgrade now!" If the next version is more stable (and you know it will be) then this one is not as fucking stable as it could be. Which I experienced, btw. I'm sure it's because I had non-supported hardware. A scanner by HP. A Wacom graphics tablet. A Xerox printer. All obscure stuff that doesn't need to be supported, I'm sure.

    7. Re:So what? by jbolden · · Score: 1

      Try to set a fixed amount of virtual memory like say 1g; instead of letting windows setting it dynamically.

    8. Re:So what? by jbolden · · Score: 1

      I've been running windows 2k for over a year. I get a crash / forced reboot about every week. Start times seem reasonable for an OS running this much stuff; while I'd like it to be shorter I can't say I've seen anything much faster. I haven't used OSX but this is far worse than Linux or Solaris.

    9. Re:So what? by LordXarph · · Score: 1

      yet people still continue to bash.

      There's still plenty to bash.

      1) I'm sorry but NO process should give me access denied when I try to end it as root.

      2) Licensing.

      -Lx?

    10. Re:So what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      alright, ive been wondering for a long time, and i feel like an idiot asking, but what the hell does ^H^H^H^H mean? Im just glad it didnt take me long to figure out what 133t meant, or whatever, maybe i shouldnt be glad...

    11. Re:So what? by showboat · · Score: 1

      You idjit. Haven't you ever used telnet? It's backspace.

  8. iPod for Windows Makes thesupermikey happy by thesupermikey · · Score: 1

    Ive been waiting for this since i 1st played with a good friend's ipod. He hads tryed all the windows work around but his mac works just so much better.

    --
    Mikey
    I've always been the kinda guy to fall for the girl dressed like an eskimo.
    1. Re:iPod for Windows Makes thesupermikey happy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't care if it sells more Imacs.
      I just want an Ipod for Windows.
      Why do you assume that everyone is worried about selling more Imacs?

  9. Apple.com by mattyohe · · Score: 1

    If you are curious about what was updated today, just go to apple.com and hit refresh a couple times... it will eventually scroll through Jaguar/Imac/Ipod/Itunes/etc...

    --
    - what is the definition of simultanagnosia?! I've been meaning to look it up!
  10. Cheaper to Upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    The upgrade for existing users is listed as $19.95. $129 is the full cost.

    1. Re:Cheaper to Upgrade by TexTex · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, the upgrade price of $19.95 is for people who have purchased a Mac after today that came with OS X 10.1. The Apple stores will probably be selling the most current versions right away but other distributers have that surplus of boxes sitting in the warehouse.

      Current 10.1 users on old machines are stuck with the $129 price.

      Seems rather odd they're actually making you pay for upgrading something new you've just bought. Usually Apple floats a 3 month grace period. Figure if you're buying a new machine, the OS should be new as well. Guess not.

      --
      -Barkeep, a draft of your most hazardous brew, for the world is slowly stepping into focus, and I don't like what I see.
    2. Re:Cheaper to Upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      only if you buy a new mac from today on... check it out its on the website

    3. Re:Cheaper to Upgrade by wavedeform · · Score: 1

      Where did you see this? All I've seen is an upgrade for people who purchace machines after 7/17/2002.

    4. Re:Cheaper to Upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no way I can afford to pop for $129 every few months. Jobs must
      be crazy to think that very many folks are willing to shell out so much, so often.

    5. Re:Cheaper to Upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Seems rather odd they're actually making you pay for upgrading something new you've just bought. Usually Apple floats a 3 month grace period.

      You're not paying for the upgrade. The $19.95 is for shipping and handling. You will more than likely be able to walk into any Apple store (or CompUSA) and get it free like I did for OSX ver 10.1.

    6. Re:Cheaper to Upgrade by White+Roses · · Score: 2
      Yeah, but it seems that is only if you purchased your Mac after today (July 17). I wonder what I should do with my Up-To-Date vouchers that came with my G4 iMac that I purchased in April. From the looks of this, eat them, I suppose. But I'll take them over to the Apple Store and see what they tell me.

      If I don't get some satisfaction, I'm gonna be pretty annoyed with Apple.

      --
      Do not touch -Willie
    7. Re:Cheaper to Upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hmmm... Just bought a Powerbook a couple of weeks ago. I have to pay $129 to get an upgrade?... I think I'll wait a while if I do.

    8. Re:Cheaper to Upgrade by TxAgCS98 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I feel kind of jipped that I just got a new Powermac G4 about 2 weeks ago... It's my first mac ever, and while I'm really impressed with OS X's use of BSD but I do feel somewhat cheated that I spent all that $$$ on a new top-of-the-line laptop and now they tell me that I have to shell out another $120+ ... most disappointing.

      I guess they've got to pay for that new advertising campaign they're running.

  11. "Switch" campaign is preaching to the choir by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The current Apple advertising campaign has been characterized by some as a bad way to get converts because of its negative tone. Many of those who have weighed in on the ads characterize the ads as "preaching to the choir". Frankly, the campaign has actually engendered a backlash against Apple as typified by the mocking found in this recent cartoon.

    1. Re:"Switch" campaign is preaching to the choir by TheMonkeyDepartment · · Score: 2

      I took that comic strip to be part of the well-deserved backlash against the French , rather than Apple. Of course, when you insult the French, you're just preaching to the choir, too.

    2. Re:"Switch" campaign is preaching to the choir by HuguesT · · Score: 1

      > the well-deserved backlash against the French

      Tell me again why American people are under-appreciated around the world?

  12. isync = syncML by johnjones · · Score: 2

    how are they doing the syncing of calender and contacts with phones ?

    regards

    john jones

    1. Re:isync = syncML by CH-BuG · · Score: 1

      IrMC is (usually) accessible through Bluetooth.

  13. And i'm screwed b/c my purchase was monday. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh well that's what i get for buying an apple.

    1. Re:And i'm screwed b/c my purchase was monday. by donkeyboy · · Score: 1

      Why? Does dell chase all of the UPS trucks down and switch out their shipping hardware?

      That's cool!

    2. Re:And i'm screwed b/c my purchase was monday. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what you get for buying an apple two days before the expo. Sorry , but you deserve that one.

    3. Re:And i'm screwed b/c my purchase was monday. by poiuyt23 · · Score: 1

      Why don't you "Return" it and then "buy" it back? That'll give you the required date. A local retailer should be able to swing that for you. I do stuff like this all the time with stereo, music and computer equipment. If you have a good relationship with your retailer you should be all set.

      Of course if you bought it from a catalog your probably screwed. In that case I'd return it and really buy from a local person.

    4. Re:And i'm screwed b/c my purchase was monday. by derch · · Score: 1

      In case you are a legit post - did you not do ANY research? Did you not ask any Apple fans about buying one now? Did you not visit any of the rumor sites or apple.slashdot.com?

      I've been a Mac user for six months and even *I* know that you don't buy a Mac the few weeks leading up to a big event... Especially if Jobs delivers the keynote. It's like clothes shopping the weekend *before* Thanksgiving.

    5. Re:And i'm screwed b/c my purchase was monday. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      What you get when you buy an Apple is:
      1. overpriced hardware
      2. overpriced software
      3. slow bloated software
      4. slow bloated hardware
      Notice the symmetry? Mac OS Apple is for insecure people who subsitute advertising hype for knowledge. When the adverstising copy blows away, you are left with a slow computer that can not be upgraded.
  14. Vorbis for iPod. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the iPod did Vorbis, I'd be there in an instant. Since it doesn't, I've got no need for it.

    Seriously, is there a petition or SOMETHING somewhere that we can sign to get Apple to take notice on this?

  15. 20 GB iPod is actually thicker... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Steve mentioned that the 10 GB iPod was thinner than the original, but didn't mention that the 20 GB iPod is actually thicker (and heavier).

    1. Re:20 GB iPod is actually thicker... by edspunky · · Score: 1

      Well, there's no way around this, is there? The whole thing stopping people from hacking a 20GB hard drive into the existing ipods is that the 20GB drive is a little thicker. The thickness coming from the added platter, thus also causing more weight.

  16. Good For Apple, Good For Us by enneff · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Doesn't a demonstration of such kickass tech (especially the Bluetooth stuff) realised today for the consumer show just how many streets ahead Apple are?

    This is all stuff that should exist under Windows, but doesn't. Apple has, after so many years, arrived at the point of equality (and now usurption) to everything else in the market - they can only produce better and better products.

    Yay.

    1. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Great! All 4 bluetooth users can take advantage of it.

      It's not on Windows for a reason.

      Furthermore, where is the rhetoric now? There is always outrage about MS integrating applications with the OS. I haven't seen one REAL OS related update here. It's all new versions (or completely new) of the bundled software.

    2. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by j1mmy · · Score: 1

      There is always outrage about MS integrating applications with the OS.

      Please differentiate between applications and crap.

    3. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most mac users use Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office. If those apps are crap, why are Mac users infatuated with them?

    4. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by foobar104 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Um. I have a 3-year-old iMac at home. It's got 256 MB of RAM in it, and it runs OS X 10.1.5. I use it for surfing and email, of course, using OmniWeb and Mail.app, but I also run iTunes and iPhoto almost every day. I wouldn't want to edit movies on it, of course, but for everything else I want, it works very well. I'm looking forward to iChat, iSync, and (especially) iCal in the next few months, 'cause I'm sure those will all run perfectly well, too.

      So I really don't know what the hell you think you're talking about.

    5. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Dutchmaan · · Score: 2

      That's funny... I seem to be running OS X / Linux just fine on my G4 that I bought almost 3 years ago.

      you were saying?

    6. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      Great! All 4 bluetooth users can take advantage of it.

      You mean that right this second I'm looking at the only people in the world who use Bluetooth! Wow!

      Furthermore, where is the rhetoric now? There is always outrage about MS integrating applications with the OS. I haven't seen one REAL OS related update here. It's all new versions (or completely new) of the bundled software.

      You couldn't read the list at http://www.apple.com/macosx/jaguar/morefeatures.ht ml for some reason? There are tons of new features built into the OS in 10.2. I'm excited about improved Japanese input, because I use Kotoeri almost every day. The Slashdot crowd will probably appreciate stuff like IPv6 support, SASL, AMD, PAM, and support for filesystems larger than 1 TB. Read the list before bitching next time, AC.

    7. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I get the impression is that Apple actually offers little which can be considered of basic value. It is fair to say that they are marketing to the Sharper Image crowd, which is to say gadget hungry yuppie types with a lot of disposable income. If you look at what Apple is offering, it is mostly high-tech toys: mp3s, music, videos, etc. In some respects one could say that Apple sells computers to people who don't need computers. Apple is really selling high-tech photo albums and CD players.

    8. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by autojive · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Great! All 4 bluetooth users can take advantage of it.

      Just take a look at what Apple did for USB. Bluetooth is still in it's early stages of adoption and is getting some pretty big name supporters to back it up. Just think about it, not many were using USB when it was first introduced until Apple lit a fire under it's ass. Personally, this is some technology that I could really use myself, and with Apple behind it now in a major way it could grow to proportions to where, yes, even you Mr. AC couldn't think of what you did when you didn't have it.

      --
      I wish my lawn was emo, so it would cut itself.
    9. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Albanach · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Sony have been producing Picturebooks with Bluetooth support for many months. They run Windows XP, are a fraction of the size of an I-Book, I'd even say they look better :)

    10. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Furthermore, where is the rhetoric now? There is always outrage about MS integrating applications with the OS.

      You, sir, are a fuckwit. When convicted-monopolist MS integrates, it's for anti-competitive reasons and ONLY anti-competitive reasons. When 5% marketshare Apple does it, it's to improve the user experience. Oh, and if you don't like the Apple offering, drag it to the Trash and it's gone. Let's see you uninstall that MSN Messenger horseshit from XP without having to go under the hood.

    11. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by telbij · · Score: 2

      Apple does not make their money through monopolies or coersion. They have to sell hardware. It's a fact that Apple does not go out of it's way to support old hardware, but nor do they force obsolescence on us. Frankly, I am glad my new Apple software does not have to support 15 year old hardware. It would be as bloated as the Intel chip architecture.

    12. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Peyna · · Score: 2

      Not only that, but macs have a much higher resale vale even after 3 years. Just browse eBay for a while and see.

      --
      What?
    13. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by porkchop_d_clown · · Score: 1

      Most mac users use MS Office?

      Is that why MS is complaining about how few people are buying it?

    14. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by donutello · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Doesn't a demonstration of such kickass tech (especially the Bluetooth stuff) realised today for the consumer show just how many streets ahead Apple are?

      What the hell are you talking about? My PC is quite happy to talk to my IPaq over Bluetooth today.

      This is all stuff that should exist under Windows, but doesn't. Apple has, after so many years, arrived at the point of equality (and now usurption) to everything else in the market - they can only produce better and better products.


      Yeah, but if any of this stuff was built into Windows wouldn't the same people on this thread be whining about how Microsoft is abusing its monopoly power to shove software no one wants down peoples throats and to drive competitors out of business ? Need I remind you that Microsoft is currently being sued for including a web browser and media player in the OS - nevermind any of the more advanced features.

      --
      Mmmm.. Donuts
    15. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by SuuSt · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No! No damn it no! I'm trying to think of the best way to formulate this response, but I can't so I'll just have to stick with this cheesy opening. Companies have been showing off useless junk like this since 1998. Why on god's earth would I want my computer to tell me whose calling me on my cell phone. I've got caller ID for that. But you say, "Sullust, that might not be usefull, but surely they can think of some really cool use for it." That's the problem though, they can't.

      Bluetooth has been around for about 3 years now and nobody uses it. Why you may ask? Because it has no practical use. I recall a demo Bill Gates did many years ago just before Win2K was coming out where he selected a bunch of songs from Windows Media Player and it sent them to his car via 802.11 and then somebody got in the car, turned it on, and be damned if they weren't playing those songs. Wasn't that neat! Funny though, 2+ years latter and me using Windows XP, yet I still can't do that. Why? Because it's easier to just burn my mp3's onto a music cd, or (if i want lots of tunes) get a car mp3 player. You can buy these now, I know of no products that I can beam songs too and play (other than installing a PC in my car... no thanks).

      Scott McNealy (or however you spell his name) from Sun does this kind of stuff all the time too, a mythical refrigerator with a computer in it and a barcode scanner (which I can't buy) will scan all the stuff in my fridge and put what I need on the shopping list of my Palm. WOW! That is so freakin' cool! But a year and a half later, I can do no such thing. Again, why? Because it's butt-loads cheaper and easier to... wait for it... open the damn door and look! How many bar code readers is it going to take to read ALL the UPC's in my fridge, or worse yet, am I going to have to point all the UPCs at one or five readers... thanks anyway, I'll just open the door.

      The point of this now rantish response is to say that 0.1% of these gee whiz tech demos are going to turn into products. Just because Steve Jobs is on stage doesn't mean it isn't vapor ware. The point is to make you think "just how many streets ahead Apple are" and make you also think "This is all stuff that should exist under Windows, but doesn't." Guess what, it doesn't exist on a Mac either. Senior Jobs just got one of his engineers to make a BlueTooth cellphone that could talk with his address book thingy. I doubt Nokia is going to.

      Until Jobs, Gates, or Nealy can get on stage and say "This is the Nokia 3425, Ford Tunester, and Kenmore Neat-n-Shit and you can go to the store and buy them right now." These demo's are just Marketing/PR to make all the geeks love them.

      It works too...

    16. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by matticus · · Score: 1

      Nokia has a bluetooth cell-the 6310 i think

    17. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by TheCrazyFinn · · Score: 1

      Because the Mac versions are loads better than the Windows version. I use Office 2000 at work and Office:Mac 2001 at home, even in classic, Office:Mac is faster, more stable and easier to use.

      --
      "You've got an invalid haircut" -Warren Zevon - Life'll Kill Ya
    18. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Perdo · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Doesn't a demonstration of such slow processors (especially the 100mhz fsb G4 stuff) realised today for the consumer show just how many streets behind Apple are?

      Faster processors should exist on Macs, but doen't. Apple has, after so many years, arrived at the point of One and a half years behind everything else in the market - they can only produce better and better products because they are at the bottom now.

      Boo.

      --

      If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.

    19. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by rigmort · · Score: 1

      It's almost comical how ignorant people can be. Do you realize that 95 percent of printed materials, including just about every catalog, magazine, and book you see is built on a Macintosh? Printing is one of the largest industries in the world. To those who say print is dead: try sitting on your toilet with your laptop.

    20. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by valmont · · Score: 2
      oh that's funny i'm still running my powerpc 7500/100 which i bought OVER 6 years ago, which is currently running LinuxPPC Q4/2000. Guess what's serving my site off of my very basic home DSL connection rite now? Guess which computer I was using to develop XML Tidy?

      Oh yea and I can *still* easily and cost-effectively upgrade it to comfortably run OS X.

      6 years!

    21. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Pointy_Hair · · Score: 1

      An often overlooked lesson by many solution architects: a "system" is a method of getting something done and does not necessarily imply a technology solution.

      Sometimes its ok to create a note on my iPaq, sync with my laptop, and even SMS something into my cell phone. Other times a #2 pencil and a sheet of paper(tm) does fine. I like the simple solution that gets the job done.

      Ignore the hype and just use what works. If I had mod points to use today, your comment would have a +5 right now.

      Cheers!

    22. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Apple does not make their money through monopolies or coersion.

      Bullshit. Apple IS a monopoly, both hardware and software. There is no competition in Mac world. Just recall what they did to Mac clones' manufacturers.

    23. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've done it with my iBook and AirPort. Not only do you surf the web on the can, it even warms your legs.

    24. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by weatherboy · · Score: 1

      Hmm. Comparing the speed of processors with different architectures based on their clock speed (1000Mhz G4) doesn't work. But you are right that the G4 processor speed increases have stagnated.

      Fortunately Apple has been optimizing Mac OS X for speed, and Jaguar should show heavy speed improvements, which will make up for the difference.

    25. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by owlicks58 · · Score: 1

      Most people don't seem to realize that you can upgrade macs too. Are you gonna run Win XP with the 300 Mhz PII that you were using 3 years ago? Fat chance. My daily computer is my original Bondi Blue iMac (from over 4 years ago), with a 500 Mhz G3 + Firewire upgrade. It runs OS X.1.5 just fine, and I'm sure it will run 10.2 just fine too.

      --
      -Alex
    26. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by SuuSt · · Score: 2

      A higher resale value or resale percentage of value? If a Mac and PC drop 50% in value over a year (that's of course generous but whatever), the average Mac is going to be worth $750 and the average PC is going to be worth $500. So you can say that the Mac has a higher resale value, but that would only be because of the initial higher first sale cost. Of course they might have a higher resale percentage of value, I honestly don't know, just looking for clarification.

      For the record, I really like Mac's and OS X. I would use a Mac but for two problems:
      1) Lack of games. This has not been fixed, you've got Warcraft III; not Neverwinter Nights. It's the same reason I don't buy a Game Cube. Super Smash Bros. sure is neat, but it's not worth $200.

      2) Cost. I cannot aford a Mac. I wish I enough money to buy one. I do not resent the people can because they have this much money, nor am I particularly impressed that you have that much money. I do not hate you because you own a Mac, please do not look down on me because I don't.

    27. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have a site named "Futuredigital?" Geez.

      Case dismissed!

    28. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by foobar104 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Hmm. It seems from your post that you might not know exactly what Bluetooth is. It's not about your computer showing you who's calling on your cell phone.

      I have a Bluetooth cell phone. It's an Ericsson something-or-other; don't recall the specific model number. It has a phone book in it, like all cell phones. If I want to store a number in it, I have to key it in, and then key in the name, and then save it. Mildly annoying.

      Instead of doing that, I just Bluetooth contacts from my PDA over to the phone. It's wireless, so there's nothing to carry around. And it works between the PDA (an iPaq) and the phone (an Ericsson) with no special setup or anything. If I have a contact in my PDA, I can put it in my cell phone in about three seconds.

      But there's more. I also have a Bluetooth headset. It sits in my ear and I can talk on my cell phone, without dangly wires. It's a pain in the ass to get in your car while you're on a cell phone, because you have to thread the wired headset through the seat belt just right, or risk getting all tangled up. Me, I just carry my phone in my pocket, no muss, no fuss.

      I also use Bluetooth to sync my PDA to my laptop. No more serial cables or cradles to mess with.

      My friend has a Bluetooth inkjet printer for his PC. He lives in Sydney, so I don't know if that stuff is available here in the US or not. But I was there when I bought it. Pull it out of the box, plug it into the wall socket for power. About three clicks and the PC found it, and two clicks later he was printing. It was amazingly cool, and useful too!

      As a short-range peripheral interconnect, Bluetooth has a lot going for it. Bluetooth support under Windows is great when it works, but it requires third-party software and isn't as transparent as it could be. I'm really looking forward to iSync, because it'll let me extend my little Bluetooth LAN to include my iBook (my laptop of choice; the ThinkPad belongs to my employer) and my iMac at home.

      Don't poo-poo Bluetooth, or any other new technology, out of hand just because you don't know anybody personally who uses it. Just as you're saying that it isn't automatically cool, I'm saying that it isn't automatically useless, either.

    29. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I do it with my thinkpad and wifi card all the time! It's a pain when you get into a long IM conversation though, the smell kind of gets to you, and the thinkpad has a VERY hot spot right under the processor.

    30. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by TWR · · Score: 3, Informative
      Until Jobs, Gates, or Nealy can get on stage and say "This is the Nokia 3425, Ford Tunester, and Kenmore Neat-n-Shit and you can go to the store and buy them right now." These demo's are just Marketing/PR to make all the geeks love them.

      Is this good enough for you? Look at www.apple.com/isync . It lists several cell phones that work with isync.

      The idea is a great one. Enter the addresses/phone numbers/schedule on your Mac, then automatically sync with you iPod (yes, iPod)/Palm/Cell phone. This is very, very cool stuff. Made me think about getting a new cell phone for a half-second.

      -jon

      --

      Remember Amalek.

    31. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by jafac · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Yeah, but if any of this stuff was built into Windows wouldn't the same people on this thread be whining about how Microsoft is abusing its monopoly power to shove software no one wants down peoples throats and to drive competitors out of business ?

      That's bullshit and you know it.

      Being able to synch your iPaq to Windows via Bluetooth is cool. Having to pay Microsoft on a per-byte basis when you do it, while it sends personal data to the mothership, and your crypto key to the NSA, and notices of detected copyright infringement to the RIAA and MPAA is not.
      I'm not saying that that's how your iPaq synch is implemented - but this *is* the spirit and intent of Hailstorm, and pretty much Microsoft's whole internet strategy. People are RIGHT to question this, and resist having it implemented as a sole solution. Your observation that we're all a bunch of microsoft-slamming whiners here on /. just paints you as an astroturfing suck-up.

      --

      These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
    32. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by TWR · · Score: 2
      To those who say print is dead: try sitting on your toilet with your laptop.

      That's why 802.11b was invented, isn't it?

      -jon

      --

      Remember Amalek.

    33. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by jafac · · Score: 2

      I'm running OS X on a Beige G3, and frankly, it's not a cakewalk.

      There are ROM issues (support of slave IDE drives, 2d acceleration on the built-in video subsystem, selection of boot devices, etc.)
      I've spent a few bucks upgrading it, including a firewire card, a gig of RAM, 500MHz G4 CPU, ATI Rage 128 card, and a DVD burner.

      There *IS* a planned obsolescence scheme at work here - my perfectly working external firewire DVD burner is not supported by iDVD. Even though it's the same damn exact model Apple supports as an internal IDE DVD burner on it's high-end models.

      Also, Wacom refuses to release an OS X driver for their ADB tablets.

      So while I can be semi smug that I'm running the latest OS on 5 year old hardware. (actually, I have my kids running OS X on upgraded 9600's) - I can't be completely smug, not because the old hardware isn't good enough - but because it's been obsoleted - in a totally obnoxious way. I'm not so sure I hold much of a grudge about ADB becoming obsolete - in fact, I think it's actually an Apple problem - they pretty much are giving ADB the boot with OS X. But the DVD thing is a hard coded limitation set by the marketing department. There's no sound engineering reason why iDVD can't support my external firewire burner.

      --

      These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
    34. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by bjohnson · · Score: 1

      That's like saying Ford's a monopoly, because you can only buy a Mustang from them.

      If you want a Mac, buy it from Apple, if you want something else, buy it.

      Pissing and moaning about the death of the clones (which was probably the soundest business decision Apple's made in some time) is irrelevant ot to concept of monopoly.

      MS has a monopoly: You have to pay them every time you buy virtually *any* pc, regardless of manufacturer, whether or not you want their OS.

      Microsoft uses it's market strength to force compliance to it's *own* standards, which it controls, and uses to force out competition.

      And they're getting scared of Apple...why else would they be doing the kinds of announcemnts they're doing today...

    35. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 2, Informative

      Senior Jobs just got one of his engineers to make a BlueTooth cellphone that could talk with his address book thingy. I doubt Nokia is going to. Until Jobs, Gates, or Nealy can get on stage and say "This is the Nokia 3425, Ford Tunester, and Kenmore Neat-n-Shit and you can go to the store and buy them right now." These demo's are just Marketing/PR to make all the geeks love them.

      You operate from a false assumption; Jobs did get on stage and demonstrate an actual Bluetooth product that you can go to the store and buy right now. It's the Sony Ericsson T68 phone. It's Bluetooth enabled. It syncs with computers. You can buy it today. And when iSync is available in September (note: actual release date, not a vaporware "technology demo"), then you will be able to do everything that Steve demoed.

      In short: You don't know what you're talking about.

    36. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by GarfBond · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I agree, geewhiz tech gizmos suck, especially if they don't show up. Here's the kicker though: most of the stuff that Steve Jobs showed off exists! It's called iSync (to be released later around 10.2), combined with the features of 10.2 and bluetooth. You can buy a DLink DWB-120M USB Adapter to get the bluetooth connectivity. You can buy the Palm Bluetooh SD Card to get your palm working. You can buy a Sony Ericsson T68 phone to get the actual phone part of it working. They even have a MacWorld link embellishing both Apple and Sony on bluetooth. For Apple, this Bluetooth stuff is demonstratable *and* purchaseable.

    37. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by SuuSt · · Score: 2

      You are correct sir. I made an incorect hypothesis, a useless technology does indeed exist. I appologize. Do the other two I mentioned exist too? Then there would be three useless technologies in the world. Fancy that.

      Note: I'm not saying Bluetooth is completely useless, I've just never seen an application for them that I felt was worth any real money.

    38. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apparently you're unable to read from being chronically stupid. I'll repeat what the parent said. You can read it slowly so you can understand.

      Need I remind you that Microsoft is currently being sued for including a web browser and media player in the OS - nevermind any of the more advanced features.

    39. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Xerithane · · Score: 2

      2) Cost. I cannot aford a Mac. I wish I enough money to buy one. I do not resent the people can because they have this much money, nor am I particularly impressed that you have that much money. I do not hate you because you own a Mac, please do not look down on me because I don't.

      Mac people look down on someone? Nahh :-)

      --
      Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
    40. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by SuuSt · · Score: 2

      Okay, you got me. I was wrong about Bluetooth (I'm wishing I'd read this long one before the short one below it, alas) it sounds pretty slick. Which I guess brings up a point which isn't really relevant to the whole Mac thing, and kinda is. Why didn't I know Bluetooth was slick? I heard about it when it was vaporware, then heard about it when it was first shown at Comdex, then heard... nothing... then I heard that very few people are buying Bluetooth stuff. I can't name a single product (before this Ericson phone) and maybe a couple tablet PC's that use Bluetooth, and I read Slashdot everyday and some other geek sites etc...

      It's more or less the Tivo problem. Tivo kicks total ass, but no one but the people who took a gamble on it know it. At least Tivo advertises (albeit poorly). What's happened here is I've just played out the good old lazy consumer role. If big tech companies don't relentlessly tell me how cool their tech is, I won't think it's cool either.

      Mac's still suck though...

    41. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by SuuSt · · Score: 2

      Well crap, the Macs suck thing was a joke, I even surounded it in anglebraket joke slash anglebraket but those obviously didn't get printed. So for clarification, Macs don't suck...

    42. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by filbo · · Score: 1

      This is redundant, but I have a 3.5 year old Blue and White G3 at home. I use it every day. Frankly, there hasn't been anything new in the past few years that compels an upgrade.

      Fast processor? Yes (sure it is 4 times slower than a 1 Ghz G$, but it is still a fast processor)

      USB? Yes.
      Firewire? Yes
      Decent graphics card? Yes
      Lots of RAM? yes
      DVD drive? yes

      How does my 3.5 year old G3 differ from a Wintel box?

      Oh, I can answer that question! The 3.5 year old Wintel box I had (a 233 Mhz Pentium Gateway box)became totally obsolete earlier this year. Can you run XP on a 233 Mhz Pentium? It would be painful.

      To say that Apple forces you to buy a new computer every 6 months is about as silly a thing as you could say.

    43. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      Admittedly, Bluetooth is way more popular overseas than it is in the US. I think some of this has to do with the US's cellular phone networks. The rest of the world-- mostly-- uses GSM, while the US uses two other, different nets; their acronyms escape me.

      If you're Ericsson or Nokia and you can roll out a new, and moderately expensive, technology, would you do it on your GSM phones that sell tons and tons and tons of units worldwide, or your US-only phones that sell relatively few units?

      I don't know this for sure; it's just a theory. But it seems to fit the facts.

      Bluetooth is definitely catching on in the US, though. I saw a Bluetooth inkjet printer-- an HP, I believe-- in a CompUSA about two weeks ago. Since I knew what it was all about I didn't really pay much attention, but I remember noticing that it was there.

      Since there's a certain amount of movement in the US to build GSM networks-- VoiceStream is a GSM provider, and the rumor is that they're going to be absorbed into AT&T soon-- maybe the availability of Bluetooth gadgets will increase over the next few months.

      Once you get hooked, though, it's hard to go back. I desperately want Bluetooth headphones for my iPod. Wires suck.

    44. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Perdo · · Score: 2

      http://www.heise.de/ct/english/02/05/182/

      http://www.digitalvideoediting.com/cgi-bin/getfr am eletter.cgi?%2F2002%2F05_may%2Ffeatures%2Fcw_aesho wdown.htm

      cut-n-paste

      The first article tests a brand new mac against a number of x86 machines. The 1Ghz mac compares closest to the 1 Ghz PIII. Please note that the PIII is available at 1.4 Ghz now.

      The second article compares a dual 1 Ghz mac to a dual 1800MP Athlon at Apple's favorite game: Digital Video Editing. The Apple gets flat smoked.

      A non overclocked XP1900+ completes a seti workunit in 3:34 hours per processor while a dual 1Ghz mac completes a workunit in 7:07 hours per processor. The XP1900+ is clocked at 1600mhz but that is immaterial. It's clock speed is only 60% higher but it performs 100% faster. The G4 does not have the best performance clock for clock AND is clocked slower.

      Apple has stagnated for two years on their hardware. It has cost them dearly. I would prefer them to optimize their HARDWARE for speed. even if Jaguar shows a 100% performance improvement, that will only bring Apple's performance on par with competitors now. Factor in the price and you will realize that they need to increase performance by 600% to compete on price/performace.

      Job's had better show a G5 soon or all the gains they have made bringing unix to the desktop will be for nothing. Linux breaths new life into old machines. But no one goes out and spends $2000 for an old 800mhz PIII with a flat panel just because Linux is nice. That is what Apple is trying to convince us to do.

      Doesn't "2Ghz G5" have a nice ring to it? Hold out for better hardware or Apple will never deliver it.

      Mac Fanboys not holding Apple to a higher standard, willing to shell out vast cash for sub-par performance, will be the death of apple.

      Make Apple produce faster hardware by proveing to them that their marketing deception will not work on you.

      --

      If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.

    45. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by geekee · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Whoever gave this jerk a 5 is a crappy moderator. It's obvious MAc fanatic BS. For instance, I can get a Windows compatible MP3 player for a lot cheaper than an iPod. Wireless networking has been available on Windows for some time. Under Windows, IM clients are available for free from a number of sources. AntiSpam software is also available. Wireless networking has been available for Windows for some time now. etc. When will Mac fanatics realize the concept of the Turing machine and stop buying overpriced hardware?

      --
      Vote for Pedro
    46. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by suzerain · · Score: 1

      The point of this now rantish response is to say that 0.1% of these gee whiz tech demos are going to turn into products. Just because Steve Jobs is on stage doesn't mean it isn't vapor ware. The point is to make you think "just how many streets ahead Apple are" and make you also think "This is all stuff that should exist under Windows, but doesn't." Guess what, it doesn't exist on a Mac either. Senior Jobs just got one of his engineers to make a BlueTooth cellphone that could talk with his address book thingy. I doubt Nokia is going to.

      Ummm...why does this get posted as "informative" when it's just "flamebait"?

      Did you even watch the f*cking demo, you idiot?

      The cell phone was made by Sony/Ericsson. I know this because Sony's boring "I sorta speak English" guy went on and on about it from his little index cards. The "technology demo" you refer to was a demonstration of a product that is currently in beta. It will be a free download in September. It is called "iSync". The caller ID feature happens automatically via Bluetooth, using the system-wide Address Book.

      Please refrain from making stupid comments about things you didn't even watch.

      --
      gameDB
    47. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by littleRedFriend · · Score: 1

      I have had an Ericsson T39m mobile phone, that can talk to the PC (software included) through cables, infrared and bluetooth for over a year. I do this Apple trick all the time. What is all the fuzz about?

      --
      IANAL, but imagine a beowulf cluster of in Soviet Russia all your belong are base to us welcoming the new SCO overlords.
    48. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uhm, I'll bet your 3 yr old iMac is sitting right next to your G3 tower and cube and powerbook and ibook. Oh and let's not forget the box with the ZIP drive, superdrive, USB hubs, etc etc etc.

      You may not NEED to upgrade, but Apple iDiots usually do, cuz lord Steve said to.

    49. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Juanvaldes · · Score: 1

      NWN was ready but Bioware didnt' want to do the editor so we have to wait on that. It should be out in under 2 months...

    50. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by V.+Mole · · Score: 2

      But there's more. I also have a Bluetooth headset. It sits in my ear and I can talk on my cell phone, without dangly wires. It's a pain in the ass to get in your car while you're on a cell phone, because you have to thread the wired headset through the seat belt just right, or risk getting all tangled up. Me, I just carry my phone in my pocket, no muss, no fuss.

      Oh, just great. Another jerk yakking on his cellphone while driving, and I can't even see the wires to know to stay the hell away. And no, "hands free" doesn't make it safe. Driving safely in traffic requires 100% concentration. You cannot converse on phone and drive at the same time.

    51. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nonesense! Driving doesn't require concentration--safe driving does!

    52. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jesus yes it was us who first started the platform wars, peecee users have never said or done anything wrong, noooo. Umm do you see linux as remaining free for very long...haha

    53. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Bake · · Score: 2

      So, how come you don't include drivers yakking away at passengers in your "hate list"?

      Driving a car while talking on the cellphone using a handsfree device is in NO way any more distracting than talking to someone in the passenger seat.

    54. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 1

      I can't speak for the other two technologies you mentioned. However, since they were demo'ed by two other CEOs, I don't see how their non-existence can be used against Jobs.

      As for the utility of Bluetooth synchronization, I think that being able to have your desktop database automatically update to your phone, wirelessly, sounds like a great idea! The other ones (onscreen notification of incoming calls, for example) are nice, but not as compelling.

    55. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, and do you know how many times someone in the passenger seat has annoyed me enough to almost cause an accident?

      Blah, blah, blah, Jar Jar is great, blah, blah, blah, George Lucas is a misunderstood genius, blah, blah, blah, why was I banned from the I Hate Phantom Menace message board, blah, blah, blah, did you hear about the new action figures?

      Shut the hell up you mindless drone! Oh shit! (screeeetch)

    56. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Optikal · · Score: 2, Informative

      The US currently uses 3 main networks: AMPS, CDMA, and TDMA (PCS). GSM is slowly coming around.

    57. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by enneff · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      You forget that I don't actually give a fuck what the people in this thread have to say. Microsoft can make their OS more competitive in any way they like, I don't care.

      (I'll just pirate the next Windows, anyway :)

    58. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by enneff · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      I don't own a Mac, idiot.

    59. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by 4444444 · · Score: 2

      Yeah, but if any of this stuff was built into Windows wouldn't the same people on this thread be whining about how Microsoft is abusing its monopoly power to shove software no one wants down peoples throats and to drive competitors out of business ?
      The big difference is that M$ waits till someone else has a great idea then incorpoates it into windows (web browser) The difference with Apple is they Invent the new idea and incorporate it

      --

      http://Lenny.com
      4 great justice!
    60. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by V.+Mole · · Score: 2

      What makes you think I don't? I generally ask my passengers not to talk to me while I'm in traffic, as I've found I make many more mistakes if I try to converse. But, FWIW, I've found talking on the phone to somehow be even more isolating that talking with a passenger, so I do think they're different. And my experience is that the majority of people I see weaving, or letting their speed vary erratically, or just plain cutting people off, are talking on a cellphone.

    61. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by PulentoMAC · · Score: 1

      ...as we would say in good old OZ:
      SHUT THE FUCK UP IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT DA FUCK YA TALKIN'BOUT!

      REAL products NOW! -SONY ERICSSON: T68i & T800
      http://www.sonyericsson.com
      http://www.theregis ter.co.uk/content/54/25054.html

      As The Register guys said:
      "Not a day on which Apple endeared itself to its customers. But one crumb of comfort for long-term loyalists will be the presence of Sony Ericsson top brass to demonstrate syncing Macs with smartphones. Perhaps we ought to pay more attention when we see the lightly trippy Aqua genie effects appearing on demo units in future. ®"

      Look at the date of that demo: APRIL!
      Just because the US has some lame telecomms and YOU might not get these products over there for a while doesnt mean that they do not exist!

      Ah... and the phone is a GPRS and GSM, Bluetooth, cable, Infrared and tri-band equiped Symbian handset, with even a photo camera built in!
      GPRS, WTLS Class 3, WAP 2.0. In colour! Looks like the classic Bondi Blue iMac!

      Now since you dont know shit: this technologies means it should work EVERYWHERE there is decent mobile network coverage...
      EVEN the US!

      --
      "I love the Australian People... I just hate their bloody Government!" Nancy Wake,"the White Mouse"-20 February 2002
    62. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      We're back to post hoc ergo propter hoc again. That guy was an asshole. That guy was using a cell phone. All guys who use cell phones are assholes.

      If you can't drive while talking on the phone, then don't. Myself, I can walk and chew gum at the same time, so I'm not worried. As for other drivers, there are always going to be good ones and bad ones, no matter what you do. Some of them will have cell phones. Some of them will be getting hummers from their girlfriends. Some of them will be changing the radio. Some of them will just be lousy drivers. And you have to deal with this fact, or stick to buses and trains. Don't gripe at me about it.

    63. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by MrTaz65 · · Score: 1

      OK, I'll bite, what _new_ feature did they invent for this release?

    64. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > That's like saying Ford's a monopoly, because you can only buy a Mustang from them.

      Well, apples (he-he :) to apples.
      In PC world : Intel/AMD/Transmeta hardware built by hundreds of companies and MS OS, Linux, BeOS, OS/2, BSD software ...
      In Mac world : Apple's hardware/Apple's OS.

      Being like Mac for PC would mean to have (say) Intel/Windows machines only. What a nightmare.

      > Pissing and moaning about the death of the clones (which was probably the soundest business decision Apple's made in some time) is irrelevant ot to concept of monopoly.

      Oh really ??

      > MS has a monopoly: You have to pay them every time you buy virtually *any* pc, regardless of manufacturer, whether or not you want their OS.

      And you must be getting MacOS for free. Not to mention upgrade from 10.1 to 10.2.
      Can you buy mac w/o OS ? I don't think so.
      Can you build mac yourself ? No way.

    65. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by sheldon · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      That's bullshit and you know it.

      Odd how that statement applies more to your post than the parents.

    66. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by DavidRavenMoon · · Score: 2
      Doesn't a demonstration of such slow processors (especially the 100mhz fsb G4 stuff) realised today for the consumer show just how many streets behind Apple are?

      First off the G4 has a 133Mhz fsb.

      Second, look at the Xserve... it uses 233Mhz DDR. Everyone knew Apple was not going to show any new "pro" hardware (i.e.G4 towers) at MWX.

      Apple will probably have new faster hardware in August when Jaguar ships.

      Another thing is we have no idea what hardware Apple was using for the demos. Could be a 2Ghz G4... only they know. Yes they should have faster CPUs, but they cant get them in quantity from Motorola.

      --
      -- if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic - Lewis Carrol
    67. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by Perdo · · Score: 2

      Um... DDR 266 was introduced in september of 2000. That is over a year and a half ago. We are at DDR 400 now. The 100 mhz fsb g4 appears in the imac and emac are the celerons of apple.

      So, you have 100mhz and 133 mhz fsb processors using a 266mhz memory bus... what is the point? The bottleneck is the processor not the memory sub-system. They need a new processor architecture! something from this decade might be nice.

      --

      If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.

    68. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by DavidRavenMoon · · Score: 2
      Um... DDR 266 was introduced in september of 2000. That is over a year and a half ago. We are at DDR 400 now. The 100 mhz fsb g4 appears in the imac and emac are the celerons of apple.

      So, you have 100mhz and 133 mhz fsb processors using a 266mhz memory bus... what is the point? The bottleneck is the processor not the memory sub-system. They need a new processor architecture! something from this decade might be nice.

      OK first off, I agree with you... but I was pointing out that G4s are running PC133 RAM, and Apple was not demo'ing anything on iMacs or eMacs.

      What mainstream PC makers are offering DDR400? Apple tends to stay away from bleeding edge technology because it's too expensive.

      I disagree somewhat about the bottle neck... The CPU is still way faster than the memory sub-system... even on something like a DDR400 system. This is why G4s have the backside cache, usually running at the CPU speed:

      L1 cache: 32 k data, 32 k instruction

      L2 cache: 256k 1:1 on-chip L2 cache

      L3 cache: 2 MB DDR SDRAM per-processor (933/dual 1Ghz) (1:4)

      data path: 64 bit

      bus speed: 133 Mhz (up to 1Ghz memory throughput)

      Apple is slow to change the mainboard architecture, in favor of stability over speed, but I think this needs to change fast ... they have been doing little things, like in 2001 PCI throughput was enhanced by the removal of the PCI bridge (the main memory controller now communicated directly with the PCI bus).

      My feeling is that the Xserve is a hint at the direction the new G4 towers will head in. We will know next month...

      --
      -- if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic - Lewis Carrol
    69. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by geekee · · Score: 1

      Where in my post did I claim you did?

      --
      Vote for Pedro
    70. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by enneff · · Score: 2

      Well I wouldn't be much of a fucking "Mac fanatic" if I didn't own any Macs, would I?

    71. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us by geekee · · Score: 1

      I was simply commenting on your absurd opinion that Apple sw tech was way ahead of pc sw tech. This is a statement that I would attribute to a Mac fanatic (or fan if you prefer that connotation). Whether you own a Mac or not is irrelevant.

      --
      Vote for Pedro
  17. Question by Mr_Silver · · Score: 2
    Jobs also announced Windows versions of iPod, synching with musicmatch and including a FireWire 6-to-4 pin cable.

    Neat. Ummm, at the risk of sounding stupid, what is a 6-to-4 pin cable?

    It's just a pity that my major source of bandwidth is at work and they'd never ever let me open up my machine to stick in a firewire card :(

    --
    Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
    1. Re:Question by dair · · Score: 1

      The 6 pin connector is found on Macs and the iPod, and uses 2 pins for power (the iPod can be charged while it's syncing with a Mac).

      The 4 pin connector is a different shape, doesn't have the two power pins, and is normally what you see on camcorders (and I guess some PCs).

      -dair

    2. Re:Question by mccalli · · Score: 5, Informative
      Ummm, at the risk of sounding stupid, what is a 6-to-4 pin cable?

      Some firewire interfaces, notably Sony's iLink and most laptops, don't provide power to the ports. These normally take a four-pin cable rather than a six-pin cable. Six-pins carry the full power.

      Basically, he's saying that it's easier to plug in your Sony DV gear now.

      Cheers,
      Ian

    3. Re:Question by jht · · Score: 4, Informative

      A lot of Wintel boxes (especially laptops) only have a 4-pin variant of the Firewire port, that doesn't provide power to the bus. All Macs use the full 6-pin version that powers the bus and recharges the iPod directly.

      So an adapter's needed for the Windows version else they may not be able to connect.

      --
      -- Josh Turiel
      "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
    4. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Firewire ports have either 4 or 6 pins. The extra 2 carry power along the cable, so 6pin devices can be powered by the network and don't need a mains powersupply or batteries.

      Macs have 6pin firewire ports, so they can power external fw devices.
      Sony Vaios with iLinks for example, have 4pin ports, so they can't.

      So, the iPod gets all its power from firewire - even its powersupply is a mains->firewire adapter.
      So iPods charge themselves as you sync the music with a Mac. This won't work on 4pin firewire ported PCs.

    5. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are two types of FireWire ports-- 6 & 4 pin. You'll find 4-pin ports on stuff like video cameras, and according to the documentation that came with my external FireWire drive, most Windows laptops. The main difference is that the 4-pin version can't supply power. So, if you use a 4-pin cable, you won't be able to recharge the iPod's battery.

    6. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      some firewire interfaces, notably Sony's iLink and most laptops, don't provide power to the ports.
      That's what I like about standards ... ;-)
    7. Re:Question by afidel · · Score: 2

      The 6 pin cable carries power over the 2 additional pins. Since almost every 1394 card for pc does not supply power and only has 4 pin recepticles this cable is needed. It also means that your iPod doesn't recharge the battery just by being hooked to your pc to sync, you will need to hook it to the brick to charge it.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    8. Re:Question by dadragon · · Score: 1

      Actually, 4-pin Firewire ports ARE a standard. There are two: 6-pin including power and 4-pin excluding power.

      --
      God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!
    9. Re:Question by tshak · · Score: 2

      I've never seen a desktop Wintel box with 4-pin firewire ports. As you mention, laptops for some silly reason tend to use 4-pin ports. So even though I have a 6-pin firewire port on my box will I need the power adapter? That would suck.

      --

      There is no longer anything that can be done with computers that is nontrivial and clearly legal. -- Paul Phillips
    10. Re:Question by jht · · Score: 2

      All 6-pin ports are powered, so you won't need the adapter except on the road.

      --
      -- Josh Turiel
      "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
    11. Re:Question by TH4L35 · · Score: 2

      What I want to know is how they are going to recharge the 'Windows' iPods?

      One can only assume that Apple is going to have to give you two Firewire cables, the 4 to 6 pin for the computer, and the 6 to 6 for the ac adaptor. Which also means that you will only be able to recharge in the wall, not with the computer. Not that the iPod charges that much in the 10-20 minutes it takes to fill it up :)

      --
      When Thales was asked what was difficult, he said, "To know one's self." And what was easy, "To advise another."
    12. Re:Question by nexthec · · Score: 1

      same way as on a Mac, I would assume. Most desktops, though onboard firewire or a SB audigy, use the 6 pin standard (which includes power). It just most laptops use the 4 pin standard, to conserve power.

    13. Re:Question by Dahan · · Score: 2
      Basically, he's saying that it's easier to plug in your Sony DV gear now.

      Why would you want to plug Sony DV gear into an iPod?

  18. Is there a plan for these version numbers? by crazyeddie · · Score: 2, Funny
    What I want to know is, looking into the future, what happens when a really big update comes along? Will they stay with 10.x forever, or will there be something more than point releases? "OS XI"? "OS X 11"? (I could foresee some confusion there!)

    8^P

    1. Re:Is there a plan for these version numbers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, that is probably coming from someone that gets confused with the left and the right shoe.

    2. Re:Is there a plan for these version numbers? by anothy · · Score: 5, Informative

      Unix from AT&T had a similar problem. they kept calling it "System N" and incrementing N. when they hit "System V" (the first to use a roman numeral, i think), they started pushing the tagline "consider it standard" to combat the fears of people noting that there was no official standard for Unix, unlike pretty much everything else the Bell System did. and, lo and behold, people sorta took AT&T's word for it!
      the problem was, it worked so well they couldn't increment N any more, because "System V" was the standard (and thus whatever came next wouldn't be).
      so the went to "System V Release 2" and got through about SVR4 before that got "stuck" as a "standard" with the various splits and unification efforts in the unix community. so they did "SVR4.1" and so on. then they started adding letters when that got stuck.
      many commercial unixes will still tell you they run a "SVR4.3x" (i think) kernel. it wasn't until SCO (the then-owners of the original Unix strain) did UnixWare 7 (i think) that they incremented to SVR5.

      just a bit of Unix history.

      --

      i speak for myself and those who like what i say.
    3. Re:Is there a plan for these version numbers? by tweakt · · Score: 2

      duh! It's roman numerals... the X stands for 10. It would just be OS 11 ... or OS XI.

    4. Re:Is there a plan for these version numbers? by crazyeddie · · Score: 1

      Then I can't wait for "OS XXX"...

      heh heh

  19. A Trend by Qnal · · Score: 1

    iTunes 3 is out today, with new features such as rating songs, keeping track of how often songs are played, playing back all songs at the same volume

    Fine Print:Your listening habits will probably be sent to an advertiser

    iChat, the new instant messaging program, and iCal, the new shared calendar program, can work with the $100-per-year .mac subscription

    Fine Print:Microsoft made us put that in, thats where they helped, eh..some of that Software as Service crap...

    1. Re:A Trend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Major dissapointment for me. I was REALLY hoping to see AAC audio in iTunes and iPod. No such mention was made. That's kind of a mystery to me, since Quicktime 6 supports it.

    2. Re:A Trend by Alexander · · Score: 1

      Good Lord of the Dance.

      You think Microsoft "helped" Apple develop WebObjects applications?

      --
      "oohhh... I didn't know Schopenhauer was a philosopher!" ..."uhhh yeah, he's the one that begins with
    3. Re:A Trend by larkost · · Score: 2

      The smart lists in iTunes are completely done on the client side. There is no evidence that this is a data mining scam. Apple is not known for that type of thing.

      And all of the applications you named can be used without .Mac subscriptions. The iCal program can use any web server (presumably through WebDAV). Apple is provideing better services thorugh .Mac.

      Personally I will regret losing my free .mac email address. But since I am not paying for it... I can't complain.

    4. Re:A Trend by Maserati · · Score: 1

      I didn't see anything in the EULA about sending any info upstream.

      --
      Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1992-1951
    5. Re:A Trend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Apple is not known for that type of thing.

      Oh, but they are. Go look up "littlebuddy.apple.com" and see.

  20. hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Also introduced were iTunes 3, iPod updates, iChat, iCal, iSync, a 17" iMac, and a lot more"

    iSee iDoBelieve iSeethe light now.

  21. If they are charging 1 dollar per feature.... by cOdEgUru · · Score: 2

    If everyone started doing this, interesting scenarios/questions emerge..

    1) Would Apple let users to substract one dollar per bug as they are discovered ?

    2) Would Microsoft start paying their users to use Longhorn ?

    3) Somebody please tell me why Linux is free ?

    Flamebait/OffTopic/Troll..Is that all you got???

    1. Re:If they are charging 1 dollar per feature.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it was more of a quip than a business practice, emphasizing how much is actually new in 10.2.

      In answer to your "questions"

      1) You can fix them yourself as long as they're in Darwin, so get crackin'

      2) No, they'll charge more than twice what Apple does and entitle themselves to your firstborn in the license agreement.

      3) Because either it does everything you need in the formats you need out of the box/iso or you spend all your time trying to get it to, rather than actually doing what you need/want to get done.

    2. Re:If they are charging 1 dollar per feature.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1) You can fix them yourself as long as they're in Darwin, so get crackin'

      Pppfffffft. You want me to buy a $2000 iMac and then have me fix THEIR bugs for them? No fucking way.

  22. No iMac switch to DVD+RW by mccalli · · Score: 2
    I'm slightly disappointed not to read about DVD+RW as an option in iMacs. DVD-RW seems to have lost the battle, and I would have thought that now would be a good time to make the switch.

    I think I've mentioned before - I'd love to get a new iMac, but lack of software is holding me back. Not the generalised moan you often hear about, but three specific areas:

    • No UK version of Quicken (absolutely crucial to me)
    • Remote desktop display is a $200 extra.
    • No standards-compliant video conferencing under OSX

    Sadly, I have to conclude the iMac is still not a viable machine for me. Damned shame - I'd love to get one otherwise.

    Cheers,
    Ian

    1. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by Fugly · · Score: 1

      You could probably run Quicken fine under Virtual PC. If you would be trashing your old machine, you could buy the version of VPC without an OS and install the os from your desktop.

      Or keep around your old pc for that app. It's not exactly the most demanding software.

      I don't know what you mean by "Remote Desktop Display". I also don't know anything about video conferencing standards.

    2. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by whovian · · Score: 2

      I'm slightly disappointed not to read about DVD+RW as an option in iMacs. DVD-RW seems to have lost the battle, and I would have thought that now would be a good time to make the switch.

      Hmm, I saw yesterday that athlonxp.com mentioned that Hitachi, Panasonic, and Samsung agreed to standards for DVD-*, while Philips and Sony are siding with DVD+*. It doesn't appear the foot-dragging is over, so at least having no DVD?RW at this time might be better. YMMV.

      --
      To-do List: Receive telemarketing call during a tornado warning. Check.
    3. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by mccalli · · Score: 2
      Yeah...the trouble with the VPC idea is that it's not exactly switching, is it? I'd still be tied to the PC in some form (virtual, my old box...whatever). And since accounts is are in my top three uses for the machine (email, web, accounts in order), then I'd find myself going back to the PC an awful lot.

      Remote Desktop Display is the ability for me to see and use my desktop as if I were sitting at the monitor, but from some remote location across the internet. Like VNC, if you're familiar with that. It's built in to XP (admittedly the first version of Windows to do that), and I use it to do....wait for it...my accounts! In spare time at work, rather than wasting time at home in the evening.

      The video conferencing is stupidly irritating. Basically, they just need an H.323-compliant app. They've got all the basics, and the open source OpenH323 works for audio. A bit of work on that project from Apple, and they could turn it into their standard video conferencing app.

      I'm an ex-Apple user, from the LC days, and used to earn my living writing code on the Mac. I also wrote a freeware app, quite successful in its day (StartupFrills, if you're interested), so I'm not anti-Apple. I really would like to go over (or back, to be more accurate). It's just that I find the software situation worse today than it was when I last moved in about 1992.

      Cheers,
      Ian

    4. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      VNC takes care of #2.

    5. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by mccalli · · Score: 1
      VNC takes care of #2.

      Pleased to hear it. Honestly. I was serious in the post that I really want to move to the iMac...it wasn't a knocking post at all.

      Given that, do you have experience using VNC with MacOSX? Is it up to scratch then? Work reliably, tunnellable over SSH, work on any client....that kind of thing? Should be - I've found the Windows and Solaris VNC servers to be reliable, but I thought I'd check.

      Serious question. I don't care about sound or what have you, I just care that I'd be able to see and use my desktop remotely, and if you've successfully used VNC to solve that, then I can cross that objection off my list.

      Cheers,
      Ian

    6. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually the Superdrive is DVD RW. It is unsupported, but you can rewrite the DVD using Toast.

    7. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by anothy · · Score: 2

      can't help with the first and third points, but i'm not sure exactly what you're talking about with the second. are you looking for a specific remote desktop display? VNC, an efficient cross-platform remote desktop program, is available for free. it's done by AT&T's UK research labs. there's a pair of clients available, and servers both for X11-only and native Aqua (although that one, at osxvnc.com, seems to have gone away; the vnc site has an email address for the author. there's another at mdimension.com that i've not sued, but should work fine.). check it out.

      --

      i speak for myself and those who like what i say.
    8. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by mccalli · · Score: 2
      Actually the Superdrive is DVD RW.

      But it's a DVD-RW drive, whereas the standard in computing at least seems to be edging towards DVD+RW.

      Basically, I'd buy the one without the rewriter and then add an external DVD+RW unit.

      Cheers,
      Ian

    9. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by mccalli · · Score: 2
      are you looking for a specific remote desktop display?

      No...I don't care at all how it's done. VNC would be fine - I've experience of using that with both Windows and Solaris (and WinCE in fact).

      All it needs to do is exactly replicate my machine's desktop in some remote display. That means it must do Aqua, it must do X...the works. My machine's graphical display must be exported in its entirety to somewhere else.

      Can the OSX VNC server do that? I'm a little concerned to here of two versions, one doing Aqua and the other doing X.

      Cheers,
      Ian

    10. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      YHBT.

    11. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by telbij · · Score: 2

      It's good to see some concrete reasons for making your platform decision rather than pure zealotry. I think OS X will probably come around for you eventually.

    12. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by mccalli · · Score: 1
      He hasn't you know. If there are solutions to what I posted, I'm buying an iMac. No troll. Honest.

      Cheers,
      Ian

    13. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by anothy · · Score: 2

      i've used it, but perhaps not as extensivly as you'd like for me to report on. i've had no issues. i've used it with several clients (Solaris, Plan 9, Inferno, and W2K) without issue, but havn't ever tried ssh tunneling.

      on the multiple versions front, let me clarify. there's a version that does only X11 (built from the common Unix source), and there's a Mac OS X version that does Aqua, thus including X11. i only mentioned them both because the Aqua one seems to be currently unavailable.

      --

      i speak for myself and those who like what i say.
    14. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by HeghmoH · · Score: 2, Informative

      I've used VNC (not much, but a little) under OS X, and it works fine. There's really nothing more to say, it does exactly what you'd expect.

      --
      Mod down posts with a "Free Mac Mini/iPod" sig, they're spam!
    15. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by bnenning · · Score: 2
      Remote Desktop Display is the ability for me to see and use my desktop as if I were sitting at the monitor, but from some remote location across the internet. Like VNC, if you're familiar with that.

      Something like this? GPLed even.

      --
      How to solve most of our problems: 1.Lots of nuclear plants. 2.Cure aging.
    16. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by VValdo · · Score: 2

      Cross it off your list.

      OSXVNC is fantastic. I know the guy who wrote it, and he's one of those programming prodigies-- as he wrote it, he actually discovered and helped Apple debug some problems they were having with Quartz.

      It's solid through-and-through. I've used it for sharing a desktop w/a friend (collaborating) and had absolutely no problems. The VNC clients are great as well.

      W

      --
      -------------------
      This is my SIG. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
    17. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A who what what? I'm holding out for DVD+RW about as much as I held out for BetaMax when I got my Indiana Jones on VHS. And if that confuses you in some way, then don't bother trying to understand the intricities....intriistric's...ionishperes......th e sheer grandiouse wondefulment of archeology and cinematography!! Horray for me!

    18. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by jafac · · Score: 2

      There IS an implementation of RDesktop for OS X to connect to Windows Terminal Server. I don't think it's commonly known or available - but it's a simple port of the BSD version. MUCH faster than any VNC implementation I've tried.

      Try google.

      --

      These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
    19. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have used it for a while and it worked well, except trashing my keyboard when used (I must have pushed a wrong button I know). I used it to turn on the iTunes radio on my old beige G3 from my bed using my iBook and stuff. If cost is a question, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I have now switched to Timbuktu Pro, which gives me better controls, but that cost money of course, but by all means go for it!

    20. Re:No iMac switch to DVD+RW by puto · · Score: 1

      there is a remote desktop built into 2000 server via terminal server. Each copy of win 2000 server comes with a 1 user CAL for remote admin.

      Puto

      --
      The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
  23. The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by jht · · Score: 5, Informative

    Good:

    - iPod upgrades and price cuts.
    - iPod for Windows
    - Jaguar before Labor Day
    - All the new software tools
    - Wide-screen iMac!
    - Price cut on the old Superdrive iMac (though that's the original price pre-hike)
    - iSync - way cool
    - .Mac - nice new features

    Bad:

    - The new iMac is still PC100/800 MHz
    - No "upgrade edition" of Jaguar. A $49 or around that version of Jaguar that would only install over an existing MacOS X install would be good. I should get some bonus for being an early user.
    - .Mac pricing. There should be a scaled-back free edition, like the other services providers offer. I expounded on this in a comment on the initial .Mac thread earlier today.
    - No support for either USB 2.0 or Firewire 2 yet. Introducing the new iMac with that would have been nice.

    Indifferent:

    - The iPod accessory kits (pretty much all available in the 3rd party market already)
    - The pricing of the new iMac
    - The lack of changes to the other price points (I was expecting across-the-board iMac price cuts, but no biggie)

    --
    -- Josh Turiel
    "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
    1. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by foo12 · · Score: 1

      No "upgrade edition" of Jaguar. A $49 or around that version of Jaguar that would only install over an existing MacOS X install would be good. I should get some bonus for being an early user

      Actually I would be extremely suprised if Apple refuses to honor MacOS Up-to-Date coupons for Jaguar. The coupons are basically used as proof of purchase in upgrade campaigns, granting cheaper or even free upgrades.

    2. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by nsandver-work · · Score: 1

      I just confirmed with a phone call to Apple's Up-to-Date hotline: only systems bought on or after today qualify. People like myself, who just spent $4000 on a new mac LAST WEEK, don't qualify, and will have to spend $130 for a point release upgrade.

      Forgive me if I'm just a LITTLE bitter.

      Apple: if you're reading this, you might want to widen your upgrade window to avoid pissing off your early adopters.

    3. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by damiam · · Score: 1

      I'm really hoping that Apple introduces PowerMac G5's with Firewire 2 at the next Macworld. That would be extremely cool.

      --
      It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
    4. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by foo12 · · Score: 1

      OUCH. I'm in your camp.

    5. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Yep. There's good and bad. For me, though, today's announcements caused a subtle shift in my feelings. See, I just bought an iBook a couple of months ago.

      Yesterday, I was a proud and happy mac owner. I really enjoyed it, and I thought the value was excellent. I was excited about the new software, the new hardware, and just the whole new approach that apple takes to computing. (Before I bought the iBook, I was primarily FreeBSD + M$ for games). I bought a new digital camera, and I already have over a thousand great pictures in iPhoto. I have 4GB of music in iTunes. All my friends use my iTools email address, and read my iTools webpages. I was learning how to develop with Cocoa. I was exploring the Unix guts, and getting to know it quite well. Even after months of use, I still thought the iBook was fun and cool -- previous laptops and other toys quickly became routine, but this was still a thrill.

      Today, I -still- use iPhoto, iTunes, and the development tools. However, my attitude has shifted. Before I was totally hooked by the software and the hardware, and I was very happy and excited about it. I read the apple rumours sites, and really enjoyed this new approach. Now, after today, I'm -still- hooked by all of the software, but now I feel bitter and slightly resentful about that fact. iTunes, iPhoto, and all the rest are still excellent programs that I really don't want to give up. Now, as I say, I resent that fact rather than relish it.

      The first hit is free I guess. It's very evil, what they did to me. They got me hooked, and then used it against me. *sigh*. I'll probably buy the update AND pay for the iTools/.Mac/whatever, but grudgingly. Because I'm hooked. I suppose it's my own fault, since companies exist purely to make profit and I conveniently ignored that while I played with my shiny new toys. Ah well. It was fun for a while I guess.

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    6. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by frankie · · Score: 2

      Bad:
      - The new iMac is still PC100/800 MHz.
      - No "upgrade edition" of Jaguar.


      Agreed. Even if the G4 is as "pentium-crushing" as Lord Steve claims, ordinary SDRAM is a nasty bottleneck that leaves us well behind increasingly-common Wintel boxes with DDR or RDR.

      Although I'd still be satisfied with a PowerMac LC, my new pipe dream is the PowerMac nForce2 . :-)

      And if Apple won't sell me a Jaguar upgrade for $39 or less, I'll probably end up burning a copy. :-(

    7. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      - No support for either USB 2.0 or Firewire 2 yet. Introducing the new iMac with that would have been nice.

      While at WWDC I asked an Apple guy why new Macs do not have USB 2.0. His response was that since the Mac has FireWire and USB 1.1 the need for USB 2.0 is minimal. It's been a while since the conversation by my impression was that Apple didn't think too highly of USB 2.0 since is was a poorly desgined hack to compete with the superior FireWire. Adding USB 2.0 to a Mac would not improve the value of the computer but would increase the cost. Besides, if you want USB 2.0 that bad it is available on a PCI card from a number of manufacturers.

    8. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by SeanWithoutPants · · Score: 1

      Hi!

      You said: "iTunes, iPhoto, and all the rest are still excellent programs that I really don't want to give up."

      Perhaps I'm misreading you, but iTunes and iPhoto will not go away once .mac becomes active. These are all free and arne't part of the iTools.

      Sorry if I misunderstood you...
      -sean

    9. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 2

      Yeah, they're not affected. My point is that I can't just say "to hell with Apple, I'll go back to FreeBSD" because I really do like these applications a lot. That's why I feel a bit bitter -- I was fully sucked into the Apple thing. I raved on and on to anyone that would listen about how great they were and stuff. Now they're leveraging that grip they've got to extract another $129 + $100 --> CAN$350 or so from me this year.

      I was a fully-hooked Apple person. I would have been happy to buy a brand new mac every couple of years or so, putting a solid $1000+ per year on average into Apple. For that, I had assumed Apple would let me stay current with my operating system for a good year or two at least. I figured that as long as I was buying new hardware every couple of years, that would be a fair deal. Now they're using this to extract more money from me. In the long run, they're going to get a lot less money from me, because instead of me getting more and more immersed and hooked into the Apple way of doing things, I'm now trying to find an exit strategy.

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    10. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

      But why do you need to buy .Mac? I've not looked into details, but why can't you limit the "sucking" as it were and stop with using iTools?

      I myself have a lot of the same feelings about the apps, but lack the bitterness - am I missing something? Or is it just the upgrade price being the same as the sale price - that does annoy me a bit, but not enough to shift me to "bitter". Plus there's still time for them to rethink things a bit and put together some kind of discount. Even if not though, I think of it as a donation to keep developing the most practical OS I've ever used.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    11. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 2

      Well, I do need to pay for .Mac, because it would cost me a lot of time and effort to switch away from my @mac.com email address -- friends, family, mailing lists, everything is structured around my mac.com address. I also use my homepage.mac.com website a fair bit too. The main thing, however, is the use of the email address.

      See, when I bought my iBook (two short months ago), it was Unix that brought me to the store. Then I found the laptop -- the 12" 20GB one -- and I loved its small size (I hate big notebooks). Then I started using it, and got fully hooked by the bundled apps. When I bought it, it was all "self-contained". I didn't need to go out and buy *anything*, which is the only reason I could justify spending CAN$2500 on the "budget" notebook.

      I spent a large chunk of money, and quite a bit of time, getting into this laptop. Now I find that I have to fork over CAN$350 to stay current on the operating system (which *is* still developing, and does have annoyances) and to keep my email address. The alternative is that I try to switch off the email address, and my laptop languishes in its current OS revision.

      I -will- fork it over, but only to buy me an extra year to find my exit strategy. Hopefully by then, FreeBSD will support my digital camera and have decent software for it (and I can barely type that without giggling madly).

      Even with the wonderful interface, cool hardware, and interesting approach to computing, Apple was cutting my "value" judgement very thinly. By piling another CAN$350 onto the bill, they've pushed me over the line. It is a great operating system, on very cool hardware, but to me it just isn't worth what they want me to pay for it. The reason I'm bitter is that they've made me discover that after I started paying for it.

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    12. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 2

      In your position I would avoid upgrading to 10.2 then.

      Because they will unleash a whole new set of toys, akin to the iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie stuff. Rendevous ZeroConf networking. iCal calendaring. iSync to put your calendars, vCards, and other contact stuff on your cell phone, iPod, PDA, and website/homepage. Ink, to let you do handwriting recognition in the OS. Etc. Etc. Etc.

      I suppose they will release some sort of music app. Or a sfx app. Or a compositing app. They did buy all those software houses recently. If you don't upgrade to 10.2, you probably won't get access to them, and then you can't get hooked on them.

    13. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by amichalo · · Score: 1

      A quick peek at the website (www.mac.com) reveals a scaled down 60-day trial version for zero-bucks.

      --
      I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
    14. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by analog_line · · Score: 2

      I'll add another thing to the bad:

      - Hardly anyone is here.

      This expo is pretty much tapped out after the first day. Unfortunately for me, I'm stuck here another day (maybe you like New York, I'm not so fond of it) which is most likely going to be spent in the gaming section (which is rather nice, I must admit) ogling the new 17" iMac (I've been unable to touch one yet, with the crush of people over there, so I've just stayed away from the Apple pavillion pretty much all of the day) and wishing I could spare the money for an EyeTV, if they haven't already been sold out. Other than that, there's just nothing to do but lurk outside the only open access wireless network like everyone else. Whooptie do.

      And they're having trouble with that wireless access point too...

    15. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 2

      Nah, I'll still buy it to use while I figure out how I get off my Mac. Plus I suppose it'll help my resale value when I sell this thing as soon as I get the exit strategy worked out. At least macs retain some kind of value after six months or a year.

      Now I know, however, how they have decided to operate. I won't get myself further locked into their systems and software. I won't convert my scheduling and contact info into iCal and iSync unless I know exactly how to get it all OUT again very easily, for example.

      In the future, I'll stick to cheaper and lower quality commodity hardware and FreeBSD -- at least I know what I'm paying for, and I don't get strong-armed into forking over hundreds of dollars whenever FreeBSD decides it needs to improve its cash flow (even if they do give me extra toys for it, and even if the "value" is more than I'm paying. If I wanted it, I'd buy it myself). Yeah, I'm giving up an excellent operating system, but it just isn't worth it any more.

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    16. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      I see - so the email address and online iTools stuff (like web space) that's free now will all cost $100? That I can see becoming upset about if you had much going there - since I only used the web space for a few things I wont mind going down and I already use Runbox for email, I'm not as affected. I'll have to see if .Mac offers enough that I'd care to pay for it.

      If I were you I'd look into an external email provider, and forget using any ISP to do mail. You always end up switching a year or two later anyway...

      Then again, you might have problems if an ISP blocks SMTP traffic out.

      Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    17. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 2

      Yeah, that's exactly it. You completely lose the email and everything if you don't pay the $100. I think I might buy my own domain name and just use that for my email address. That way I am a lot more flexible and I probably won't ever have to give it up. I'll have to pay for it, but at least it'll be mine then.

      Ah well. :)

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    18. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 3, Funny

      The main thing, however, is the use of the email address.

      Let me get this straight...you got a free email address, switched all your friends and family and mailing lists over to that address, and now you're upset that it's going away? Why did you switch them all over to that address in the first place? If you aren't willing to pay for and use an email account, then that's the risk you take. As Jobs said in the keynote, things are a lot different now than they were a year ago. The free email addresses now cost money, and no one can just afford to give them away. As I see it, you built your life on this house of cards, and now you're upset that you have to pay someone so it won't fall down. I'm sorry, but Apple can't be expected to just give things away indefinitely.

      Then I started using it, and got fully hooked by the bundled apps. When I bought it, it was all "self-contained". I didn't need to go out and buy *anything*, which is the only reason I could justify spending CAN$2500 on the "budget" notebook.

      Guess what? Your iBook is still self-contained! You don't need to buy anything to keep using it! The mac.com email address is something external to the iBook, not part of the iBook. And no one is forcing you to upgrade to 10.2 if you don't want to. But if you do, you will get a whole bunch of new features that will make your life easier. In fact, you know this already, because you talked about how great the features were when you bought your new iBook! So, in short, you're complaining because a company has proven to you that they are very good at making applications that you use and enjoy, and now they are making more applications that you will probably use and enjoy, and they would like to charge you a nominal fee for the work they put into those applications. Pardon me if I'm not welling up with tears of sympathy.

      It is a great operating system, on very cool hardware, but to me it just isn't worth what they want me to pay for it. The reason I'm bitter is that they've made me discover that after I started paying for it.

      When you bought the computer, you didn't realize that companies charge for substantial operating system updates? Maybe you should stick with simpler devices that don't force you into such dilemmas. For example, you could just buy a car...wait, just as a warning: You do realize that you will have to pay for gas and oil and service for the car, don't you? Don't want to you get caught unawares and get all upset.

    19. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by V.+Mole · · Score: 2

      I bought a domain for precisely that reason. But: $100/12 ~= $8/month. Good luck getting reliable domain hosting and e-mail forwarding for $8 a month.

      Yeah, the upgrade ought to be less, especially for those who bought recently.

    20. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have to update your geek dating guide. Chuck Yeager's Air Combat was a real classic, but it wasn't very realistic (flight-sim wise) and it's so old probably half the people here don't know what it is.

      (Myst is more popular and will be known - and it was very pretty - but as a game, very boring.)

    21. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by tarth · · Score: 1

      FYI -- You can convert your .Mac (oh how I loathe that name) account into a free e-mail account by logging in and click the Account option in the top menu.

    22. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 2

      When I was sold an iBook, part of the package was "free access to iTools" and "free updates as they become available". Nothing there said it was temporary -- only good until they decide to charge for it.

      When I was sold an iBook, I was given three coupons for free upgrades to the operating system. Part of my concern was that it is a young operating system. I was repeatedly reassured that these coupons were my ticket for free upgrades. Maybe I'd have to pay $19.99 for media and shipping, but essentially free. "Fair enough," I thought.

      And, "nominal fee" ?? Is this a joke? How can you seriously consider over a hundred bucks nominal? $19.99 to cover shipping and handling of a cd package is a "nominal fee". I was happy to pay that.

      Mac OS X 10.1.5 is not self-contained. The operating system is not complete and fully stable. It works fairly well, but it has a lot of polish left (eg my "supported" printer *still* doesn't work properly, and I get some odd performance issues). But, while 10.1.5 may not be self-contained, 10.1.5 with a commitment to upgrades as they become available is self contained. This is what I have lost.

      People keep telling me "But this isn't just bug fixes!! It's upgrades and new software!!" Guess what? I don't want that. All I want is to have everything working properly on my system. I don't CARE about all these new products, and I'd be happy to buy them if I did.

      What I object to is that Apple changed their deal with me after I committed. No, it wasn't a legal deal, and there was no contract. I was sold on the idea that Apple takes care of its customers, and that everything "just works" and that there are "no surprises". I took their word for it on a handshake alone. Naive? Maybe. But I'm not saying I'm gonna try to sue them. I'm just getting out.

      I just thought apple would be different.

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    23. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by VC · · Score: 1

      For me the balence just tipped back in favor of X86/linux.
      Im giving my apple ibook to my little sister and just bought a Dual 1.8GHz Athelon with 512Mg ram and a shit hot video card (g4/4400) For 3K aussie.
      Compare that to buying a new G4 for 6K aussie.
      Besides the only thing linux couldnt do when i bought my ibook was play back quicktime. And now that everyone seems to be heading towards MPEG-4 theres really no reason to stay in OSX.

    24. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by tyrione · · Score: 0, Redundant

      You work in the software industry and have entirely too many toys to effectively utilize their purposes. Instead of accepting and expounding upon your Love for such Industry you "begrungingly" meander to and fro complaining that you have been usurped by the Drugs of Technology.

      Step outside your subjective point-of-view and be thankful you have options that are driven by quality and not greed.

      The Internet was considered a toy between 1994 - 1997, amonst big business. When it really began to be harnessed as a tool for advertising and new ways to meet peoples present needs you were right along with the rest who were shocked and dismayed that everything was so readily available and quite often, "free."

      One exception has been Pornography. The basic still shots are infinite and we all can acquire those without much effort.

      However, the true meat of the sex industry surfaced with the advent of streaming sex videos and people have converted a several billion dollar business into a multi-billion dollar group of businesses with no stop in what the "chaste" call an addiction. Sex is symbolic of life and change. Those hangups tend to translate over into every other facet of our lives.

      People say one thing and do another. Speech is twofold, Truth but One.

      Your actions are your Truth and you love the time, creative energies, and forethought Apple puts into their products and services.

      It is time that we repaid them for such and at the same time demand the most out of them by encouraging competition to challenge them, ensuring we the Consumers of Life can experience the most out of life.

      You have all the toys and still complain your sandbox is not enough.

      Be thankful you have a burgeoning sandbox and enjoy the fact you can be in the industry you so clearly love.

    25. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I made a similar mistake a few years ago when I bought my revA iBook SE. A month after I bought it, they released the faster firewire versions for the same price as I bought mine.

      The lesson I learned is to time my purchases until just after the latest MacWorld. Otherwise you're setting yourself up for a big dissapointment.

    26. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 2, Interesting

      When I was sold an iBook, part of the package was "free access to iTools" and "free updates as they become available". Nothing there said it was temporary....

      Well, nothing said it was permanent either. You were never promised "lifetime access to iTools." And again, iTools access was not a specific part of your iBook purchase; it was simply an added benefit for Macintosh owners. Or to put it another way: If you buy a computer that says, "Lets you access your favorite web sites!", and then your favorite web sites disappear, are you going to complain to the computer manufacturer that those web sites were "part of the package"?

      When I was sold an iBook, I was given three coupons for free upgrades to the operating system. Part of my concern was that it is a young operating system. I was repeatedly reassured that these coupons were my ticket for free upgrades.

      Apparently you were misinformed. That is unfortunate. Hopefully Apple will train its salespeople better in the future.

      Mac OS X 10.1.5 is not self-contained. The operating system is not complete and fully stable.

      You are obviously using some definition of the word "self-contained" that I am unaware of. No operating system will ever be fully stable. However, as of right now, it is self-contained in that it does not require anything external to continue working. You admit that it works "fairly well," so what's the problem? Printer updates will also probably be made available. Those are independent from the OS version.

      But, while 10.1.5 may not be self-contained, 10.1.5 with a commitment to upgrades as they become available is self contained. This is what I have lost.

      Again, I find it hard to believe that you were promised unlimited free upgrades. Bug fixes and new features often go hand in hand, simply because it would be impossible to test all bug fixes without any of the new applications and features built in. Apple has to live in the real world, just like the rest of us.

      What I object to is that Apple changed their deal with me after I committed.

      Again, what "deal"? Your imaginary "deal" where Apple promises to make online services free for life? Where Apple promises to distribute free software updates until your OS is "complete and fully stable"? Sorry, but life doesn't work that way.

      I was sold on the idea that Apple takes care of its customers, and that everything "just works" and that there are "no surprises".

      Apple does take care of its customers. However, it is naive to imagine that they would take care of all customers indefinitely, for free.

      Naive? Maybe.

      My sentiments exactly.

    27. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 2

      They took away iTools, a selling feature. No, they didn't promise it forever, but I would have thought they'd give me a bit of warning. I'm certainly not the only one who is shocked and surprised by this move.

      As for the continuous upgrades.. Well, I used to get that for Windows, back when I used it. I imagine M$ is probably still issuing patches and updates to '98. Will Apple do that for 10.1.5?

      As for "self-contained" I mean "a complete product". For me, 10.1.5 works just well enough that I can get my day to day work done, with kludges -- about the same as Windows, actually.

      But programs still crash, my System Prefs still hangs, my finder is painfully slow, occasionally everything locks up.... It's just not done. I was willing to put up with that, as I was under the (mistaken) impression that I was sold a work in progress, and that Apple would let me upgrade it when it was (reasonably) finished. I'm certainly not interested in unlimited free upgrades -- just the bonehead things. Like why is it that occasionally (twice in two months) when I try to reboot into OS 9, I completely lose my system folder settings, and have to boot manually from the firmware? And this was on 10.1.5. Show-stoppers like that aren't acceptable.

      As I say, the deal is that I get a computer that works. I was willing to put up with it while they built it. Part of the deal was that I would run OS X, and pay fully for all of it, and then I would get a nice running system. I'm almost there... And just when I can see the end, and just when the OS seems finished.... They hit me with another bill to pay.

      They devalued what I bought by taking away my iTools, and by not finishing my operating system. With Windows, I expect it to be buggy, but I also know that what I buy is what I get. With OS X, though, I was promised a system that just works, and upgrades until they get it right. It's not right yet, but they want me to pay more.

      Yeah, I was naive. But, I won't make that mistake again. I'm going back to FreeBSD.

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    28. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by usr122122121 · · Score: 2
      Good luck getting reliable domain hosting and e-mail forwarding for $8 a month.
      Don't quote me on this, but Omnis tends to be a pretty cheap and reliable hosting company. Don't get their $1 a month plan though because they will burn you with an annual fee :-)

      I guess I'll be eating my foot when their servers get slashdotted though...

      --

      -braxton
    29. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by jamesbrown1000 · · Score: 1

      It's very evil, what they did to me. They got me hooked, and then used it against me.

      "They" didn't get you hooked. You found a service you liked at a price you really liked. You used said product, paid said price ... and it's not evil when Apple has to start charging for it because it's causing them to lose money. They don't like to lose money any more than you do.

      With this new arrangement, Apple is saying to you "Right, let's keep this relationship going, but let's have you pay for what you're using, and in return, we'll give you some great new stuff that you didn't have before."

      You can choose to agree, or disagree. If it's the former, bully for you and hurray for AAPL. If it's the latter ... well, there are other free email (web-based) services. You'll have to host your site elsehwere, but iTunes, iPhoto and the other "i"Apps will continue to work just fine -- for free.

      --
      Mindy: "Well...desserts aren't always right." Homer: "But they're so sweet!"
    30. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 2

      What I think is "evil" and where I got "hooked" is that iTools and the updating of Mac OS X was sold to me as a feature -- a reason to buy Apple. I got used to it and I liked it. I don't necessarily expect it all to go forever, but I do think there should have been a lot more warning -- especially with iTools. Also, as I said in another post, I don't think 10.1.5 is finished enough to call it a "product". Admittedly, I will happily and profusely apologize if Apple continues to release bug fixes and updates to 10.1 even after 10.2 is released (just like M$ still releases '98 updates despite 2k and XP). I'm not too hopeful though.

      So now that they've made some real advances on the OS, they're putting it with all this other glitzy stuff that, while interesting, isn't what I want. They bundle it all together and make me buy this glitz along with the unglamourous upgrades/bugfixes that I really want.

      I still might buy it all, as I am quite locked in. In any case, I'll run Mac OS X for a bit. When I get all my data off, I'll try to sell this computer, and if I can't do that I'll try Darwin. I'm a FreeBSD guy at heart, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch.

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    31. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They took away iTools, a selling feature. No, they didn't promise it forever, but I would have thought they'd give me a bit of warning. I'm certainly not the only one who is shocked and surprised by this move.

      They are giving you 2 1/2 months warning. what's wrong with that?

      As for "self-contained" I mean "a complete product". For me, 10.1.5 works just well enough that I can get my day to day work done, with kludges -- about the same as Windows, actually.

      I'm running 10.1.5 as well and I fully consider it to be a complete OS. It does everything it was advertised to do.

      When I first heard of Jaguar, I fully expected it to be a paid upgrade. The list of new features warrants the cost. I don't remember seeing a list of bug fixes included in Jaguar. If you are expecting them to be fixed, you'll likely be $129 more bitter on August 25th.

    32. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 2

      Yeah, the two and a half months warning is better than nothing, but by warning I'd like six months or a year. I expect my computer software to be good for at least a good year -- and since iTools was sold to me as part of the package, I'd be ok with the iTools shutdown if it was, say, the end of 2002.

      About the 10.1.5... Well, I have had a lot of annoying little problems. My printer doesn't work -- and not only that, my Print Center program "unexpectedly quit"s every time I try to add a printer. Ugh. Then there's the unacceptable Finder sluggishness. And the odd tendency for my rebooting into OS 9 to put my system in a completely unusable state (as mentioned in another post) so that I have to boot manually from firmware. It works, and the features are there, but there are a lot of bugs. In my software development, I'd call it a late beta release (but definitely beta).

      Honestly, I wouldn't mind a bit paying for the Jaguar upgrade. All those new pieces of software look cool. What bugs me is that I must buy it just to get the updates and bug fixes. M$ still updates '98 and Sun still releases patch clusters for Solaris 7. That's all I'm mad about -- that I won't get bug fixes and patches and stuff unless I fork over for 10.2. (and once again, I'll happily and profusely apologize if I am wrong and Apple does keep updating it).

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    33. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by scrod · · Score: 1
      My printer doesn't work -- and not only that, my Print Center program "unexpectedly quit"s every time I try to add a printer.
      You probably have the file permissions wrong on your print center executable files.
      The contents of /Applications/Utilities/Print Center.app/Contents/MacOS/
      should look like this:
      -rwxr-sr-x 1 root daemon 384364 Jul 15 15:57 Print Center
      -r-sr-xr-- 1 root daemon 39012 Jun 21 18:32 PrintingReset

      And those "hangs" are probably because of the order in which directory services in OS X are set. Take a look at the "Directory Setup" application and make sure it's set to search the local directory for user authentication.
      You'd be better off if you actually took the effort to fix your problems yourself (or at least look for solutions to your problems) instead of just moaning about them and expecting Apple to fix them automatically with an update.
    34. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by Garin · · Score: 2

      Yeah, this is the kind of thing I was used to dealing with on Linux and later FreeBSD, and it's the kind of thing that should not be necessary with a consumer-ready operating system. I mean, seriously, this is how it's supposed to "just work"? Please. This is the type of apologism that I simply will not tolerate. For Linux and FreeBSD: sure, that's part of the culture. But for Mac OS?

      This has nothing to do with RTFM. These problems should NOT be happening in the first place. This isn't me not reading the manuals, this isn't me incorrectly installing software, and this isn't me messing around where I have no business messing around. This is me trying to use my computer precisely how I was told I would be able to use it. It doesn't work.

      And no, incorrect file permissions wasn't the issue. After many years of professional Unix administration, I've learned that Unix problems are often as simple as permissions, so those are the first things I checked. As for the Directory Setup, that was something that I did long ago -- a tip from someone who was intimately acquainted with MacOS X. Yeah, it helped, but not enough.

      I've been looking for solutions to each of my problems for weeks -- to no avail. Apple's support channels have no answers, and less formal channels can't come up with solutions either. I find it disturbing that I get better help from macosxhints.com than I do from Apple.

      This is exactly why I maintain that 10.1.5 isn't done. I paid Apple for an operating system that works, and they haven't delivered yet. Now I know they never will (unless, of course, I fork over another CAN$195). I was happy to wait, knowing that eventually they'd fix the major bugs and let me do what I need to do with my computer. Now I find I was nothing more than a beta tester (and I had to pay for that privilege).

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
    35. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by tpv · · Score: 1
      Depends what you want.
      If you're just trying to stop your mail address from changing, then the domain is the best option, because you can move it around if your current providor screws you, but you can still do it cheaply.

      Gandi will register your domain and forward the email for 12 Euro per year.
      They also do web page redirections, which might be useful to you.

      --
      Read more of this story at Slashdot.Read more of this story at Slashdot.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
    36. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by tpv · · Score: 1
      When I was sold an iBook, part of the package was "free access to iTools" and "free updates as they become available". Nothing there said it was temporary....

      Well, nothing said it was permanent either. You were never promised "lifetime access to iTools." And again, iTools access was not a specific part of your iBook purchase; it was simply an added benefit for Macintosh owners. Or to put it another way: If you buy a computer that says, "Lets you access your favorite web sites!", and then your favorite web sites disappear, are you going to complain to the computer manufacturer that those web sites were "part of the package"?

      But it's not like that.
      Often when you buy a PC, you get X month free with an ISP (I think if you buy a Mac in Australia right now, you get a month free with iPrimus).
      The iTools thing to me, looks like that.

      I'd liken it to having a deal which was "Get the first month free, and then pay $20 per month access", and then 2 months in, they up the price to $50.
      It's unreasonable to expect that the price would never change, but you should be able to assume that deal had some reasonable lifetime.
      I'll let other people argue as to whether the 2.5 months warning they've given is "reasonable lifetime".

      The whole announcement has made me rethink my plans to buy an iBook.
      If apple is going to start charging all its customers full price everytime it does an upgrade, and suddenly start charging through the nose for services it previously advertised as free, then I'm not sure I trust them enough to commit to their products.

      --
      Read more of this story at Slashdot.Read more of this story at Slashdot.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
    37. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by micahjd · · Score: 2
      I think I've gone through a milder version of what you described with my iBook. I got my iBook about a year ago, and I loved OS X. iTunes was nifty, it would run some games, it had a real OS underneath.

      But then recently I realized...

      OS X is terribly slow

      Nobody at Apple gives a damn about the UNIX tools

      Sure if you have a big spiffy G4 machine OS X seems fast enough. They have the developer GUI.. but all the command line development tools are substandard: the automake and libtool are broken, the gcc is slow and buggy, Apple hasn't wasted any time breaking UNIX conventions (like the universality of /dev) in order to quickly shove Mac OS on top of it. Apple touts its new OS as "UNIX Based", but that's all it is. It's not meant to be a real UNIX, since Apple can't understand why anyone would want to look past their candy coated iGUI.

      So, now I run Linux. All the hardware is supported just fine with a recent kernel, and I can take advantage of Apple's nifty hardware without having to sell my soul into their vision of what my computing experience is supposed to be. I can choose what software I want to run. Sure, it doesn't run any commercial games, but most of the games I play (Unreal Tournament, Starcraft, WCIII) are way too slow on the iBook anyway.

      --
      -- 2 + 2 = 5, for very large values of 2
    38. Re:The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent by alexjp · · Score: 1

      If you're currently using iTools, it only costs $49 for the first year of .Mac. Just log in, and you'll see it.

  24. Windows iPod with a Mac? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How do they expect to get Windows users to switch to the Mac by giving them a seperate product that probably wouldn't continue to work if they decided to switch because of it.

    What's the difference anyway? Is it because of the HFS thing, or is the packaging the only difference (4to6 pin FW adapter and Musicmatch on CD)?

    1. Re:Windows iPod with a Mac? by mattyohe · · Score: 1

      you might actually have a point there... But how many more people will go out and pickup a mac just because they want an iPod? Yes the iPod is rather keen, but I don't see that many people doing this.

      --
      - what is the definition of simultanagnosia?! I've been meaning to look it up!
  25. iAi, iai, iai by Anonymous+Cowtard · · Score: 4, Funny

    iI ithink ithat ithey iare itaking ithis i'i' inaming ithing ito ifar.

    1. Re:iAi, iai, iai by ebh · · Score: 1

      Gbut gis git gan goriginal gidea? Kor kdid kthey kget kit kfrom ksomeplace kelse?

    2. Re:iAi, iai, iai by underactive · · Score: 1

      wingood winquestion. wini windon't winknow wineither. =P

      --
      my other computer is your Windows(tm) box...
    3. Re:iAi, iai, iai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uh, sorry bud but the win prefix is NOTHING as big as the gay+unoriginal K and G of gnome.

  26. Darwin on x86 by davids-world.com · · Score: 2, Informative

    yes, Darwin is available for x86 platforms. However, you'll miss the great Aqua user interface that comes with OS X. You could run KDE3, which is not as much fun...

  27. er, about this iPod... by altgrr · · Score: 1

    I've seen a fair few overinflated claims before, but a scroll wheel with no moving parts is an impossibility. Unless the wheel doesn't move, in which case it's just no damn good.

    --


    Like car accidents, most hardware problems are due to driver error.
    1. Re:er, about this iPod... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah that's right up there with the "mouse with no ball".

    2. Re:er, about this iPod... by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 2

      Yeah. They could NEVER use a sort of trackpad like technology. You know, like the transporters in Star Trek had actual sliders, but the ones in Star Trek: The Next Generation had sliders with no moving parts. And they were pretty sad, because they could never go anywhere, because a slider control with no moving parts is an impossibility.

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
    3. Re:er, about this iPod... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It works like a circular track-pad.

    4. Re:er, about this iPod... by altgrr · · Score: 1

      If that's true, it's a great shame - I thought that the original, moving scroll wheel was quite a nice feature, and very slick. Oh well, they call it progress.

      --


      Like car accidents, most hardware problems are due to driver error.
    5. Re:er, about this iPod... by niftyeric · · Score: 1

      From apple.com:
      With no moving parts(1), the iPod's new touch-sensitive scroll wheel is less vulnerable to dust, dirt or sand and more durable. The touch-sensitive scroll wheel is designed to retains its crisp feel throughout the lifespan of your iPod. There's even a clicker that makes a tiny clicking sound when the scroll wheel is moving.

      Hmm, with "no moving parts" at the beginning. "Tiny clicking sound when the scroll wheel is moving" at the end. *shrug*

      --
      proton != antielectron
  28. I just hope... by Mr.+Bundy · · Score: 1

    ...that the "up to date" program will once again entail the trading in of a mac os X 10.1 coupon for an upgrade to Jaguar for $19.95. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong (as if I need to say that here), but isn't that what they did for 10.1? I could've sworn that 10.1 was available for $19.95 when you used a 10.0 coupon. Pleaseopleaseoplease let it be so. Otherwise I'm hosed for a while. $129 for a "new" OS isn't in the budget just now.

  29. A grim connection by hoowee · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Could all this have to do with this by any chance?

    --

    Comic Book Guy: "There is no Groening in my store."
  30. Now only if by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Mac had the technology for a 2 button mouse. Man, that would be sweet.

    No matter how good it gets, it's still a Mac.

    1. Re:Now only if by jamie · · Score: 1
      All modern (USB) Macs support a 2-button mouse. I used a 2-button scrollwheel MS Intellimouse for a few months until its optics went bad or something (cursor jumping around).

      Typically you set up the right button to ctrl-click, which is the standard Mac way to "give me a menu of less-common options for what to do with this."

      I'm back on the zero-button Mac mouse now because, well, it works :)

    2. Re:Now only if by schmitty53 · · Score: 1

      Um... two button mice ARE supported on mac's, they just don't COME with 2 button mice.

    3. Re:Now only if by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      uh, i'm posting this on my widescreen tibook. I three button logitech mouse ( cordless, optical, with scrollwheel ) seems to be working in OS X quite nicely.

    4. Re:Now only if by extra88 · · Score: 2

      I didn't have to do anything to configure my right-mouse button. I just plugged in my Kensington USB mouse-in-a-box (same model I use on my Windows box at work) and it just works (equivalent to Ctrl-click). The scroll wheel works in the Finder, IE, and other apps but not all apps. I think the Kensington MouseWorks software lets the scroll work in more apps but I haven't bothered installing it.

    5. Re:Now only if by andyring · · Score: 1

      Umm, they do. I use a two-button mouse under X at home, and it works wonderfully, fully supported. That feature is there, it's just not advertised. In fact, I use an optical cordless two-button wheel mouse, and the wheel works great as well.

  31. mac.com email still free? by macsox · · Score: 2

    looking at the .mac homepage, it appears that the $50/first year will provide a "full mac.com email" account and that a "full mac.com account" gives you more idisk storage. it doesn't say the free accounts are going away.

    am i looking in the wrong place?

    1. Re:mac.com email still free? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...60 day free trial, after 60 days you'll have to move.

    2. Re:mac.com email still free? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What are you reading? The only two options I see are "Trial" (60 days free, limited services) and "Full" ($100/year, or $50 for current iTools users). This is fairly obvious, since it's essentially the only information on that page... I don't see a seperate "full mac.com email for $50/year" account.

      And I would assume that the current free accounts are going away, since there is no mention of non-trial free accounts at all anywhere, and since Steve's speech mentioned that current iTools accounts that don't pay will be deactivated September 30th. Also, when I login to my iTools/.mac account (registered back when it was completely free), it says that my account expires in 75 days.

    3. Re:mac.com email still free? by Trinity-Infinity · · Score: 3, Informative

      The FAQ says it will start deactivating original iTools accounts that have not paid starting in Sept. There's also a blurb about what steps to take to save your email to disk and that you should notify people your address is no longer valid.

      To me that is == no more email for us :(

    4. Re:mac.com email still free? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it doesn't say the free accounts are going away

      According to this faq the free accounts are going away.

    5. Re:mac.com email still free? by shagan · · Score: 1

      Looks like the free iTools accounts will be going away. When I logged in today, it told me my trial account would expire in 75 days. Looks like I have to find another E-mail address.

  32. Re:those mac commercials almost have me hypnotized by qurob · · Score: 1

    I was pricing out G4's...well used 400mhz models go for nearly $700, when I can build ONE HELL of a PC for that price. And the parts would be new.

    Yeah, yeah, Macs are nice looking, well designed, etc etc. I'll probably just shell the $$ out for one.

    Anyone know a good^H^H^H^Hcheap place to buy a 1-2 year old used Mac?

  33. Stupid 17"..... by BMonger · · Score: 2

    It sure would be nice if they had announced that I could spend like... $500 to get my 15" screen "switch"ed (HA!) to a 17" widescreen... oh well... once my flatpanel iMac becomes really obsolete I'll just buy their wearable computer that they will be selling in 2005...

  34. Once again UK users pay over the odds.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    with the 17" imac coming in at £1,649.00 in the UK, yet the US price being $1,999.00 which is £1,274.54. So why the £374.46 price difference? UK compaines manage to sell goods to the USA at pretty much the same price as the domestic market-and if they do not there is troble.

    1. Re:Once again UK users pay over the odds.. by afidel · · Score: 1

      is it possible that the VAT is included, hench the price difference?

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    2. Re:Once again UK users pay over the odds.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok take the vat off= £1,403.40, still a considerable difference. Besides, there are sales taxes in America too.

    3. Re:Once again UK users pay over the odds.. by afidel · · Score: 1

      not if I buy online =) but if shipping isn't included it is usually a wash for me since sales tax is only 5.75%

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    4. Re:Once again UK users pay over the odds.. by cfradenburg · · Score: 1

      The higher price in the UK could have to do with tariffs on computer imports. I'm not sure if Dell and the other large PC manufactureres have the same problems. If they don't, it may be that Apple doesn't have the money to soak up the tariffs and shipping.

      For the most part tariffs are going away but there are still enough cases to support them (such as protecting a fledgling industry in the country) that they're going to be around for a long time yet.

    5. Re:Once again UK users pay over the odds.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      17.5% VAT TAX that is paid in the UK... US prices are quoted w/o sales taxes, which are usually much lower depending on the state (between 0 and 8.5%, I believe)

    6. Re:Once again UK users pay over the odds.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's the price you pay for not giving us our independence when we asked. You made us fight for it, so now you pay more for iMacs.

    7. Re:Once again UK users pay over the odds.. by bobidus · · Score: 1

      Advertised prices in the US never include sales tax because there is no federal sales tax. These taxes are set by the individual states and differ from state to state.

  35. A small side-note : GCC 3 by mcc · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just one little interesting tidbit i noticed that is getting kind of lost in the noise: Did anyone else notice the little note on the Jaguar page? Apparently the 10.2 developer tools use GCC 3.1!

    I found this interesting, as i had heard that the bulk of the linux distributions had not yet managed to migrate to GCC 3. Neat to see Apple is staying on top of this whole UNIX-technology thing :)

    1. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      The linux kenrel itself depends on a number of GNU C Extensions (features that are in GCC but not in the C standard) - and it also (stupidly) depends on particular optimisations gcc performs.

      On Mac OS X, things depend on one very large gcc extension - "Objective C" (an object-oriented extension to C, conceptually similar to C++, but, unlike C++, actually good.), rather than lots of small ones. Changes to ObjC seem to be integrated in large chunks, driven only by Apple and GNUStep, so a cutting-edge gcc tends to be required to get the latest, Apple/GNUStep critical changes. There is little dpendency on particular gcc optimisations in the darwin kernel - hence, while darwin performance may be lower than Linux, you don't get a week-long flamefest on LKML and gcc-list whenever gcc changes something like you do with Linux.

    2. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by crow · · Score: 2

      Red Hat switched to gcc 3 in their rawhide release some time ago. They switched back to 2.96 before releasing 7.3, but shortly after that was out the door, it was back to 3.1. They now have a beta release based on rawhide from a few weeks ago.

      So it looks like Red Hat almost released 8.0 instead of 7.3 with gcc 3, but decided to wait a release to be sure everything was stable.

      So they're getting close.

    3. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by inkfox · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Just one little interesting tidbit i noticed that is getting kind of lost in the noise: Did anyone else notice the little note on the Jaguar [apple.com] page? Apparently the 10.2 developer tools use GCC 3.1!

      I found this interesting, as i had heard that the bulk of the linux distributions had not yet managed to migrate to GCC 3. Neat to see Apple is staying on top of this whole UNIX-technology thing :)

      Is this really the case? It was my understanding that Linux distributions were holding back from a complete transition owing to 3.1 still being a bit buggy, or compiling kernels incorrectly.

      Or perhaps Apple has some extra benefit to testing it can do, owing to only having to worry about the G4 processor?

      --
      Says the RIAA: When you EQ, you're stealing bass!
    4. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by amRadioHed · · Score: 2, Informative
      Just one little interesting tidbit i noticed that is getting kind of lost in the noise: Did anyone else notice the little note on the Jaguar page? Apparently the 10.2 developer tools use GCC 3.1!
      Not terribly interesting considering that Apple released the dev tools with GCC3 a couple months ago.
      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
    5. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by shadow303 · · Score: 1

      I think it is more a matter that some software that compiled fine with older versions of gcc doesn't compile properly with the more standards compliant 3.1. So if they just develop their software so that it compiles properly, I don't think there are any problems (3.0 was supposed to be buggy though).

      --
      I've got a mind like a steel trap - it's got an animal's foot stuck in it.
    6. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by CoreyG · · Score: 2

      Or perhaps Apple has some extra benefit to testing it can do, owing to only having to worry about the G4 processor?

      Apple still sells G3s in its iBook line.

    7. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I run a system on which every single application was compiled from source using GCC 3.1, kernel included.

    8. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's a big difference between being buggy, and being unable to compile the Linux kernel. You see, the Linux kernel often contains code which is not legal, but works under the older more forgiving gccs. So because the kernel is buggy, one cannot neccessarily upgrade the compiler.

    9. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by captaineo · · Score: 2

      GCC 3 has been very buggy recently. I tried the GCC 3.1 release in Debian testing a few weeks ago - I quit using it immediately when I discovered that G++ neglects to destroy objects on the stack after an exception is thrown. Also, starting with GCC 3, all C++ programs are required to link with libgcc (which has had binary compatibility problems)...

      So, for my own C++ development work I am still stuck with Redhat's relatively stable 2.96-98 release.

      Maybe Apple has fixed some of these things?

    10. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by norwoodites · · Score: 1

      There is a small problem with 3.1 and 3.1.1 which is going to be release in about a week, it has c++ abi that is compatible with 3.2's, which will be released in about one week, a few days after 3.1.1. look at http://gcc.gnu.org/develop.html for more information.

    11. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by zrodney · · Score: 1

      me too -- the gentoo ports tree has most of the
      packages working with gcc3.1(.1?)

    12. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The bulk of UNIX distributions have not migrated to GCC 3.x because its still quite buggy. Its true that GCC 3.1 is much better about weird errors than 3.0.x, but still has its problems. A friend of mine was testing GCC 3.1 on his system and tring to compile various programs he knew compiled correctly under GCC 2.95.3 GCC 3.1 kept returning strange parse errors, while 2.95.3 would complete the compile fine. Most people in the know have not migrated to GCC 3.x because its not worth the headaches it produces.

    13. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I've decided that Apple is for homos.

      If you are gay, you like Apple.

      If you like Apple, then you are gay. Simple as that.

    14. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by IamTheRealMike · · Score: 2
      I found this interesting, as i had heard that the bulk of the linux distributions had not yet managed to migrate to GCC 3. Neat to see Apple is staying on top of this whole UNIX-technology thing :)

      Hardly. Most distros and projects have experimented with the GCC 3 series, but it's not yet good enough. For instance, although KDE actually compiles with it now, it takes twice as long, and produces slower code as well. That's why they're not using it.

      Maybe these bugs don't exist in the Objective-C parts of it, I don't know. But using the latest GCC when it's not yet actually better than the previous is hardly "keeping on top of UNIX technology"

    15. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by Nicolay77 · · Score: 0

      I think that an amount of the money you pay for the upgrades will be invested in GCC development and that Linux and FreeBSD can benefit of it too. And that's the best part of it.

      --
      We are Turing O-Machines. The Oracle is out there.
    16. Re:A small side-note : GCC 3 by PulentoMAC · · Score: 1

      plus the old bubble shaped iMacs.. (i got one of those!) which are still available for sale... in fact, they are the cheapest ones...

      --
      "I love the Australian People... I just hate their bloody Government!" Nancy Wake,"the White Mouse"-20 February 2002
  36. The Street Hates It by Schlemphfer · · Score: 2

    The NASDAQ is up as I write this, an hour or so after Steve's keynote. But Apple stock is down 13%.

    --
    I'm generally "Interesting," "Insightful," and even "Funny" here. What the hell happens to me at parties?
    1. Re:The Street Hates It by nelsonal · · Score: 2, Informative

      The stock is down on last night's earnings release. Mangement's expectations for gross margin and sales, spooked quite a few investors.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
    2. Re:The Street Hates It by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The street is slow and usually looks for overly simple explanations of things. The street saw no major hardware besides the 17" imac and punished apple. They added that punishment to some extra punishment for yesterdays lower earnings news and suddenly apple stock is 13% less valuable.

      Dumb asses didn't really look close at the amount of software apple has set up for sale today. With 10.2 and .mac.com as fairly expensive software apple intends to sell millions of copies of along with stuff like QT6 pro apple has pretty much said they were going to fire up there own priniting press for money, racking it in without having to put out too hard a product in return.

  37. iPod update by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The neatest thing Steve announced
    was the iPod upgrades, especially a 20gig
    iPod for $499. Includes a case, a remote
    and the contact and calendar software.
    iTunes was also updated to include search
    by genre and composer ...

  38. I'm happy about the pricing by vought · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a Mac user for nearly 18 years, I'm quite happy that Apple is now charging some modest fees for their value-added services.

    This is something that Microsoft's hedgemony WON'T let other PC manufacturers do - at least not to the extent that Apple has shown here. If Gateway (Dell, whoever) wants to create a value-added portal like .mac, they've got to fight similar interests at Microsoft.

    Apple has no such conflict - they own the whole ball of wax, so the hardware and OS sides of the company can work together to produce a best-in-class (and don't pretend they aren't class-leading or at least very innovative and polished) set of services for Mac users - for free in many cases (iTunes, iPhoto) and for a modest yearly charge in other cases.

    My ISP charges $20.00 a month for a 5MB mailox and 50MB of FTP space. Apple is providing more than that for $100.00 a year. That's half off for me - for more space.

    Owning a mac has never looked better. Apple is again taking positive steps to increase revenue growth and reduce it's dependence on volatile hardware sales. Reasonable prices for services that generate recurring revenue...new product refreshes on a regular basis to win the fence sitters and an advertising program that _is_ winning over some converts (right here in my office) - rather unfunny Penny Arcade cartoons notwithstanding.

    Good job, Apple.

    1. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by SamBeckett · · Score: 1

      Dot Mac doesn't provide internet access.. Now, you pay $20/mo + $100/yr.. Mind you, I think it's an awesome deal-- just letting you know 'bout your phoney iMath.

    2. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Apple has no such conflict - they own the whole ball of wax, so the hardware and OS sides of the company can work together to produce a best-in-class (and don't pretend they aren't class-leading or at least very innovative and polished) set of services for Mac users - for free in many cases (iTunes, iPhoto) and for a modest yearly charge in other cases.

      In PC-land this is called a "monopoly" and it sure is nice when you buy into the monopoly, but stray outside of it or become interested in a technology that your monopolist company doesn't like and you are SOL.

      Penny Arcade is DEAD ON. That's what makes it funny to non-Mac users. PC's brought large scale computing to the masses, Apple brought an air of superiority to a bunch of photoshop users.

    3. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by vought · · Score: 2

      When I can just subscribe to $35.00/mo. DSL and NOT have to pay for the $20.00/mo. email and FTP space...well, that make a bit more sense, doesn't it?

    4. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course you're happy. Steve could take a dump in your cereal and you'd be loving it, just like every other Mac zealot.

    5. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by dubiousmike · · Score: 1

      "Apple has no such conflict - they own the whole ball of wax"

      Hopefully the Feds won't read your post and decide that Apple is fostering some sort of monopoly. ;^)

    6. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by vought · · Score: 2

      Apple isn't forcing or coercing anyone to buy or use certain products based on the fact that they own the whole ball of wax.

      ITunes, for example is an optional, free dwnload, but if I still want to use (.mp3 Player) then I can, and it'll work just as well with OS X. Same with FTP space and e-mail. Likewise with Linux distros for the Power Mac.

      So, the feds shouldn' be too concerned.

    7. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe bait and switch from free to fee might interest them though.

    8. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Apple has no such conflict - they own the whole ball of wax, so the hardware and OS sides of the company can work together to produce a best-in-class

      Yeah. I love monopolists too. They always take care of everything. All you have to do is paying them. Isn't that really nice ?

      > My ISP charges $20.00 a month for a 5MB mailox and 50MB of FTP space.

      Nope. They charge you for an Internet access.

    9. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by jbolden · · Score: 1

      Get off it. Apple brought PC's to the masses far more than IBM: remember the Apple II, II+ and IIe? At that time the IBM PC / AT was much more expensive and was seen as a business class machine. For years it was non PC architectures like Apple, Commodore, Atari, Tandy... which offered PCs for home, school and small business.

      Only when Western Digital, Intel and Microsoft (on the OS / hardware side) allied against the "PC" (i.e. against IBM) was there any possibility for bring prices down. With Compaq reverse engineering of the BIOS the technology was in place for generic hardware and so it would even be possible for PCs became affordable for non corporate users. As a result it wasn't until the late 80's that Taiwanese parts made PCs a compelling value buy relative to Apple's hardware offerings. By then PCs were already part of mass culture.

      What cheap PCs created was the virtual death of alternatives to the Western Digital / Intel / Microsoft standard that is a uniform hardware development platform for business and home. Affordability existed long before this.

    10. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by extrasolar · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      "Good job, Apple."

      This is why people like me consider people like you, Mac Nuts.

      You realize you are congratulating Apple for charging more? If Microsoft ups their prices, people say "damn", if Red Hat ups their prices (and you don't have a CD burner), people say "damn". But when Apple does pretty much absolutely anything, people say "Good job Apple, that'll show em."

      First, I want to say how crazy that is.

      Second, it reminds me of something. It was a speech Malcom X made he refered to what he considered black house slaves. The slaves that lived in the house with the owner were very obediant. They said "Yes sir!" with enthusiasm. Malcom X despised these people because they were so used to being slaves, that in some sense they didn't want to be free. And they loved their owner.

      And that is what Mac Nuts remind me of. Mac users are very dependent on Apple for their computing needs. They visit "rumor" sites to find out what Apple is going to do next--because they know with all likelyhood whatever changes Apple makes is going to end up on their desktop. Their choice is two-fold, to upgrade or not to upgrade.

      And the parent post is the kind of post that reminds me that Apple users have a natural regard to how well business is for Apple. This natural, because of their dependence of this company. If business is good for Apple, they will get better stuff. Apple users learn not to byte the hand that feeds them.

      I know I am generalizing here and I'm sorry about this. Perhaps I am only responding to a vocal minorty.

      But this form of loyalty to a company, to a brand, can not be good. No matter how good their stuff is.

      And you're a Mac user for 18 years? Can anyone say addict?

    11. Re:I'm happy about the pricing by tpv · · Score: 1
      Apple isn't forcing or coercing anyone to buy or use certain products based on the fact that they own the whole ball of wax.

      You sure?

      Apple is selling Jaguar, as "look at all these new features and apps that come free".
      Steve Jobs says you're paying $1 per feature.
      Their justification for the totally absurd price of $129 (for an upgrade!) is that you get all these cool apps.

      Will you be able to get the fixes to MacOS X without the apps? Probably not.
      So, what is actually happening here, is you have to pay apple for a whole lot of new apps/features in order to stay current with your OS.

      They most certainly are coercing people to buy the apps.

      --
      Read more of this story at Slashdot.Read more of this story at Slashdot.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  39. 4-6 pin cables explaned by Krashed · · Score: 2, Informative

    Firewire has two different types of cables, the 4 and the 6 pin style. 6 pin is quite a bit larger, is used on all modern Macintoshes and can get quite a bit of power to the device. 4 pins is smaller but can't get the power to the device. Most pc's use the 4 pin variety but Apple stuck with the full sized 6 pin on both the Mac and the iPod so you can power and yes, charge the ipod from the Mac's power supply. With Windows they supply a more standard 4-6 pin cable which means you need a seperate way to charge it since one connector doesn't not have the 2 pins for power. Apple usually comes through and supplies an adapter to charge from the wall outlet.

  40. Pricing by changeedwards · · Score: 1

    From maccentral:

    http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0207/17.jagu ar ship.php

    Mac OS X 10.2 will cost US$129. It will be on sale Aug. 24. If you buy a Mac before then, you can get Jaguar for $19.95.

  41. Don't start thinking that way... by sterno · · Score: 2, Troll

    You are sounding like one of those wacky open source advocates now. You should feel privleged that you can get such fine quality software for such a low price. Stop complaining!

    --
    This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
    1. Re:Don't start thinking that way... by dubiousmike · · Score: 1

      I think someone once said the same thing about M$...

  42. itunes3 d/l /.-ed? by anarcat · · Score: 1

    is it me or is ttp://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ completly screwed?

    --
    Semantics is the gravity of abstraction
    1. Re:itunes3 d/l /.-ed? by inputsprocket · · Score: 1
      yer - must be overloading their xserves ;)

      get it from your idisk...

    2. Re:itunes3 d/l /.-ed? by inputsprocket · · Score: 1
      huh? WTF! I just installed iTunes3 from my idisk and then went to get the Backup and iDisk utility from the same place, and now iTunes3 is no longer there!!!

      hmmmm

  43. iPod for Windows, finally by akookieone · · Score: 1

    I can't believe it took them this long to stick it to M$. Here Apple has this great product, almost universally rated the best of the HD mp3 players, and they waited this long to move into the windows user base?
    And what about those vendors who just spent the last few months producing software to make the iPod work on Windows. If they really are partners with Apple, why didn't they know they were wasting their time, or at least won't be getting as much out of their software as they had hoped?

  44. Education 10.2 is $69 by Walker · · Score: 4, Informative
    I just went to the education Apple Store online. You can preorder 10.2 and the price is listed as $69. As I haven't paid since 10.0 (And got a huge discount because of the Public Beta/Education double dip) I am not complaining much.

    With that said, giving a $20 upgrade only from people ordering today is not enough time for an OS that ships in a month. Any software vendor that ships an upgrade gives upgrade pricing to everyone that bought within the last 3-4 months. Apple should at least follow that model.

    1. Re:Education 10.2 is $69 by agent+oranje · · Score: 1

      I'd have to agree. For that matter, I think that anyone upgrading from the latest version should have the right to a discounted copy of the newest release.

      When Apple released Quicktime 6 a few days back, and I found I had to buy Quicktime Pro again, I was downright pissed! I had Quicktime 5 Pro for maybe 2 months tops, and I probably wouldn't have wasted my $30 if I knew that Quicktime 6 was right around the bend.

      Of course, as a student, I'll be getting the academic discount, and $69 ain't bad for a solid OS. Hopefully it will be.

      --
      -agent oranje.
    2. Re:Education 10.2 is $69 by mcwetboy · · Score: 1

      I had Quicktime 5 Pro for maybe 2 months tops, and I probably wouldn't have wasted my $30 if I knew that Quicktime 6 was right around the bend.

      Don't give me that -- QuickTime 6 was preannounced last February. It's been right around the bend for months.

  45. 100 bucks for .mac PER YEAR! by inputsprocket · · Score: 1
    I'm not very impressed with the price hike on iTools/.mac from gratis to 100 bucks (ok, 50 for the first year). Jeeze, you don't get much for 100 bucks nowadays!

    I'm a bit bewildered though as to whether it's really $100 for *everyone* - I registered my .mac account way back when in the US. Now back in Europe, it is asking me for $100, even though my local currency is the Euro. I think I might wait the full 75 days to buy at the reduced $49 price, because $49 today=49Eu, but in 75 days, $49 will probably only cost me 35 Euros or thereabouts.

    1. Re:100 bucks for .mac PER YEAR! by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      Past performance is no indication of future value. While not a perfect indicator, currently the forward rates are indicating the market expects, and is willing to pay for, continued parity (1USD=1EUR) through December.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
    2. Re:100 bucks for .mac PER YEAR! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure will teach us to bail out the Euro.

  46. I actually think this was a positive keynote. by TellarHK · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As the first keynote I've watched, I have to say I was impressed with how well it came off. Jobs had a few glitches along the way with some of the new feature demos, but recovered nicely. There're a lot of people saying Apple's so bad for charging for "what was free" but the thing is, they're doing what had to be done. iTools cost them money, and a pretty substantial chunk I'm sure. And .Mac will actually do nothing but improve the iTools featureset. iCal, five times the storage space, and iSync could make .Mac quite useful to a lot of people. I'm not one of them yet, but I definitely respect the effort they've gone to. Yes, I'm a bit upset that they're taking away my email address - and wouldn't be too surprised if they turned around and let people keep the email addresses for nothing if people complain enough - but I won't get pissed off.

    And $100 a year isn't a bad price, considering the integration you get. One service to offer all those features, rather than five services and a mishmash of programs to do it.

    And even though $129 seems a bit of a shock for 10.2, it really isn't a point upgrade so much as it is a rewrite level. Compare 10.2 to 7.5, if you're familiar with Mac history. 10.2 gives you a whole new rendering layer for new Mac machines, a hell of a speed boost from the reports I've heard, and several new features like iCal, iSync and Rendevouz. I'll probably pay for it. I -would- like a $49 upgrade for 10.1 owners, but I think Apple's probably feeling enough of a financial pinch not to do that.

    I think the part of it all that would be most respected by Slashdot readers is the fact that open standards were touted quite loudly. SyncML and Rendevouz (zeroconf) primarily. They might not be opening up as much as we want in some areas, but at least when they're moving in a new direction they look like they're trying to make the best of it.

    And I've decided people who push for open sourcing -everything- in OS X, or porting to x86 are just idiots with no business sense. That would kill Apple's income. 'nuff said.

  47. How long will the 10.1's be supported? by Shanep · · Score: 2

    After 10.2 is out? Or does the support of people with 10.1's stop once 10.2 is avail? I'm referring to software updates, security patches, etc.

    I just purchased OSX a few months ago to put on an old second hand iBook I bought, and Steve, I don't really wanna pay more money for it just yet. How's about making us pay for OS XI?

    I'm actually looking for a good reason to put OpenBSD on my iBook and just hone it down with WMaker, OpenOffice, Opera, etc.

    I love OSX, but if I have to fork out money every year for the latest patches then you can get fucked (Karma = Excellent is boring).

    Plus, if need be, my next notebook will be one that supports OpenBSD the best (hint hint) and will not be the TiBook I really have been wanting.

    --
    War crimes, torture, lies, illegal spying... Would someone give Bush a blowjob, already, so he can be impeached?
    1. Re:How long will the 10.1's be supported? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no one cares what you buy. you are just another slashdot wanker.

      like my localized british that makes me sound so non-american?

    2. Re:How long will the 10.1's be supported? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Think http://www.gnudarwin.org

    3. Re:How long will the 10.1's be supported? by jafac · · Score: 2

      Personally, I refuse to pay for 10.2 because my hardware is not supported by the new Quartz speedup (requires an AGP graphics card, mine's PCI).

      --

      These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
  48. $129 ?! by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    I just bought my G4 Titanium PowerBook less then a week ago. I paid $5000 for it (Australian Dollars). And thats with the Student Discount, else it would have been close to $6000! Thats a SHITLOAD of money.

    Now a week later, OSX 10.2 is announced (i have been waiting for this for ages), and they want me to pay another $129USD for it? (About $260AUD).

    Highway robbery!

    How about.... NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Apple is becoming like M$. Charging for their Win98 to Win98SE 'bug fix'.

    Time to find an OSX 10.2 ISO on IRC.... I just spent a shitload of money on apple, i'm not forking out anymore for some time. (Tho i DO want their airport base station. But again, at $699 AUD, i am not forking out till the price goes down)

    D.

    --
    You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
    1. Re:$129 ?! by Nukenbar2 · · Score: 1

      Acutally, most of the bug fixs that came with Win98SE were already available for free with windows update for win98 users.

    2. Re:$129 ?! by 90XDoubleSide · · Score: 2

      If you qualify for student discounts, OS upgrades should only be $69.

      --
      "Reality is just a convenient measure of complexity" -Alvy Ray Smith
    3. Re:$129 ?! by dubiousmike · · Score: 1

      "Apple is becoming like M$. Charging for their Win98 to Win98SE 'bug fix'."

      You would think that Apple would have learned from M$ mistakes.

      I have never seen so many MAC users pissed off!!! Hopefully, Apple doesn't burn too many bridges with this paid point release and their "pay-us-now-that-everyone-you-know-uses-your-mac.c om-addy"...

      I wonder why the sudden big push for revenue from traditionally free services? Don't we pay enough for the hardware?!?

    4. Re:$129 ?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Heh heh heh... "Australian dollars"

    5. Re:$129 ?! by awb131 · · Score: 1

      While I agree that it sucks you'd have to pay for the upgrade having just bought your computer, I disagree with characterizing 10.2 as a bug fix. 10.1.x has been _extremely_ stable for me, perhaps even more so than my Linux machines since all Mac hardware is so standardized. I'm really looking forward to the new features, especially iCal, the first calendar program I've ever heard of that uses open interoperabity standards that have been around for going on five years.

      Maybe you should get a "white box" 802.11 base station from D-Link or somebody like that, and put the saved hundreds of dollars toward the upgrade? It's all the same stuff as far as your airport card is concerned.

      I'm mostly worried about how 10.2 is going to interact with the fink distribution. It's going to suck for me if all the fink stuff suddenly stops working because it was built against library versions that don't exist anymore.

      --
      "There is no night so forlorn, no mood so bleak, that it cannot be infused with pleasure by tender meat..." - R.W. Apple
    6. Re:$129 ?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why the fuck did you buy a new machine one week before MWNY? Granted, it turns out there were no Powerbook speed bumps or price drops announced, but no one knew they wouldn't be.

    7. Re:$129 ?! by realdpk · · Score: 2

      As I see it, you really, really want to upgrade for some reason, but just not enough to pay for it. Well, it sounds like upgrading isn't worth it to you.

      Where's the problem here? It's not like they're disabling your computer all of a sudden. Just don't upgrade.

    8. Re:$129 ?! by Ciannait · · Score: 2

      It's a huge update, but since you just bought your PowerBook, you qualify for the "Up to Date" program. There should be some documentation on how to use it, that came with your PowerBook.

      --
      A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
    9. Re:$129 ?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is true. You KNOW there were going to be announcments and possibly introductions of new systems. Why not wait one week to find out what the deal was? I mean, it's just as possible that Jobs could have introduced a new model that made your machine $500 cheaper or something... Actually, didn't they do that for the iPod?

      When you're getting that close to a Macworld, it pays to wait.

      In any event, the OS X upgrade for Jaguar was long expected to be announced and to be a paid upgrade. So it wasn't really a suprise to anyone but you, apparently.

      I bet since you bought it so recently, you won't have to pay much. Just call them.

    10. Re:$129 ?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > You would think that Apple would have learned from M$ mistakes.

      Sure. Even being the real monopoly they'd never been caught :)

    11. Re:$129 ?! by jafac · · Score: 2

      Call up and bitch. I'm sure they'll cut you some slack.

      --

      These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
    12. Re:$129 ?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What kind of a dumbass buys a new system weeks before MWNY?

    13. Re:$129 ?! by karamellkungen · · Score: 1

      Oh please.

      Unless you've been living under a rock for the past six months, you'd know that Jaguar was coming in August or September, and that it would cost you money. If you spent that much money on a new computer it seems odd that you didn't spend some time reading up on the mac news sites.

      Jaguar is as much of an "update" to 10.1 as Windows 2000 was to NT, or XP to 2000. If you don't want the new version don't buy it. But don't steal it if you do.

  49. Moderators! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That wasn't a troll! Overzealousness..

  50. iSync... by qwerpoiu · · Score: 1

    iSync, therefore iDrown

  51. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by TomHandy · · Score: 1, Informative

    If you have a Mac, and open the box for it, you will notice that you have three Mac OS Up To Date Coupons (I have an iBook with coupons that say I bought my iBook with OS 9.2 and OS X 10.1 installed. There are three coupons and when you use them you only have to pay $20 for the upgrade, not the full retail price. I don't see what people are getting so worked up about. When I bought my Dell with Windows ME preinstalled, I had to pay full price to get Windows XP for it. This is a heck of a lot better.

    1. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by dthable · · Score: 1

      By that same logic, I shouldn't have to pay when I upgraded from Windows 95 to Windows 98 (but I did). So why should this be any different?

    2. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by teridon · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Please point me to a webpage which states that you can use your coupons. The upgrade page makes no mention of them.

      --
      I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing. -- Thomas Jefferson
    3. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by geneshifter · · Score: 1

      NO SIR!!!

      That will not work for this offer. You can only get it for $19 if you buy a new computer between now and OCtober. That's it. A huge rip off IMO.

    4. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by afidel · · Score: 1

      even closer comparison is win98 to win98se which was a bundled app upgrade/bug fix almost exactly like the 10.1 ->10.2 upgrade.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    5. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Actually, the coupons I got with my G4 PowerBook are merely "Software Coupons" and not "Up-to-Date" coupons -- must be that they saw this coming. It says on them:
      To get MacOS updates...you'll need the coupons below as proof you've purchased the MacOS software.* ...

      *See individual offers for terms and conditions.
    6. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by laserjet · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Oh, so you are letting Microsoft set the standard for what is right and wrong for a software company to do? I don't agree with paying to go from 98->98se either. But don't make the mistake of letting Microsoft guide your thinking as to what is acceptable. This is the same company that has been dragged through court for the last several years on anti-trust matters. So, no I don't think they are acceptable.

      --
      Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
    7. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by Miska · · Score: 1

      You're completely right!

      As a retail macOsX10.1 owner, I just checked my MacOSX box, and found another one of those cupon sheets!

      So, no need to gloat about $129 'upgrades' - send in your cupons and you should get them cheaply, if not free!

      ,

      --
      -
    8. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by dthable · · Score: 1

      Then look at Sun, HP, IBM, Redhat, etc. All ask that users pay for their upgrades to the operating systems, even if they are only bug fix releases. While I don't agree on paying for a bug fix, I would pay for new software features, like iCal, iSync, etc. It's not like 10.2 is nothing but bug fixes....those come through Software Update for free.

    9. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by tshak · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Ya, buy XP is a HUGE upgrade from ME. Heck, it's almost a completely different product. When XP SP1 came out - with major updates, not just bug fixes - we didn't have to pay $20. I think I'd be frustrated as an OS X user. Personally, I think they should just price major versions accordingly so that all updates are free. As a developer, this would ensure that a larger population was upgrading to newer versions

      --

      There is no longer anything that can be done with computers that is nontrivial and clearly legal. -- Paul Phillips
    10. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by kwishot · · Score: 2

      When XP SP1 came out - with major updates, not just bug fixes - we didn't have to pay $20.

      XP SP1?
      Please let me know where to find this, because it's surely not on Microsoft's website! /sarcasm

    11. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by l-ascorbic · · Score: 1

      Yeah, you found the coupons. Did you find anything saying they gave you a cheaper upgrade though? I doubt it.

    12. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by @madeus · · Score: 2

      Sure I agree with your sentiments, but not too so accurate (excusuable as your not a Mac OS X user :).

      It was awful of Apple not to give away 10.1 upgrade for free (even 20 USD was way to much!), that really was a 'bug fix' release, IMO. I am still mad about that. There were not a lot of neat features in it, mostly just fixes and a badly needed speed boost. That was fairly greedy and seemed petty.

      I don't mind paying for 10.2 though, the update is massive (not as big a deal as say ME to XP, but a big deal none the less). Say comparable to NT 4.0 to Windows 2000 in terms of scale (as in NT 4.0 'worked', but Windows 2000 works well :).

      The Quartz Extreme, improved Windows file sharing (no more kludgy samba command line faffing, whoo hoo, mmm gui :-) along with a faster Finder and better mail client (and less important stuff to me like iChat, iCal, new Address Book which is still cool none the less etc) make it worth while and reasonable IMO.

      If they do this once a year I can live with it (which appears to be the plan). Veering off topic, the total shutoff of mac.com email has got be really pissed though. The should have at least kept forwarding avalible for a longer period and they could very well have warned people about this 6 months ago (though I guess they are counting on people having to pay to keep it on line at the last minute so as to avoid loosing email as a point of revenue).

      I'm actually sucker enough to buy it as the email account has been *really* fast and reliable and I hate changing my address all the time so I will probably pay for it, I don't have a credit card but I'm worried I won't be able to pay for it before it get's shutoff because stuff like this sometimes takes a couple of months to show up in the UK (even in London).

      I haven't really give a monkeys about iDisk (nice idea, not enough space and I can do this on my own BSD/Linux server anyway), but with 100 MB storage, a speed bump and an interated backup utility it's suddenly more appealing.

    13. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by Creepy · · Score: 1

      Actually, you could get 10.1 for free (not anymore, tho) - you just needed to get it from an Apple authorized store and provide your own CD. Having to pay for this upgrade doesn't bother me that much, as long as it's reasonably priced (M$'s $70+ upgrade crap doesn't fly too well with me).

      lest you forget, Windows 98 did not include Windows 98 SP2, and SP2 was required for USB devices. The only way to get it was to pay for the upgrade (which I think was $79 instead of $109). SP2 came out about a year after '98, and since then M$ has named all its new releases rather than just tacking on SPx (ME is just a glorified name for a '98 SP, XP is a glorified name for a 2000 SP), probably because people were demanding free Service Pack upgrades.

    14. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe you should try using Windows Update. You'll notice a lot of those fixes say "SP1."

    15. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Can comeone mod this down as troll!?

      Why don't you go to the Mac OS X home page and try that link that reads "UPGRADE"

    16. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by Miska · · Score: 1

      yep, looking back I can see there's a certain discrepancy (i.e. I was wrong :-(

      .

      --
      -
    17. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by nojayuk · · Score: 1
      Windows 98 did not include Windows 98 SP2, and SP2 was required for USB devices.

      You might be thinking of W95 and W95 OSR2. The second supported USB (about as well as the first Mac OSes did, i.e. pretty horribly).

      The only way to get it was to pay for the upgrade (which I think was $79 instead of $109).

      Summat like that. W95 didn't last on the shelves very long, as I recall, before OSR2 became the standard pre-load.

      SP2 came out about a year after '98,

      I think you're referring to W98SE, a much more stable version of the W98 rewrite. It's my OS of choice on older kit with limited memory and CPU power. ME was an abortion and rightly ignored by the buying public.

      [stuff clipped]XP is a glorified name for a 2000 SP

      Since XP involved virtually 100% new code, I wouldn't really call it a Service Pack.

      people were demanding free Service Pack upgrades.

      Before I switched to W2KPro I was running NT4, and the last SP for that old warhorse was 6A. I never paid for any of those. Some were even published on magazine front-cover CDs.

      W2K and W2KPro have two SPs already issued, and it looks like SP3 will be out sometime soon -- some "hotfix" patches have been seen to refer to SP3 in the docs. All these have been free for download.

    18. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by GargoyleMT · · Score: 1

      Kludgy Samba command lines? Go to http://xamba.sourceforge.net and get SSP, which includes a preferences applet and a GUI config editor.

      It'll certainly tide me over until 10.2 is available.

    19. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by RAruler · · Score: 2

      Apple stated that only computers bought on this date or later would be able to upgrade for $20, the rest of us suckers pay full price.

      --

      --
      Insert Witty Sig Here
    20. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      uhh, yeah, and on that page it says that it's only applicable if you purchased after today...

    21. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by fliplap · · Score: 1

      yes, they are part of the critical fixes included in SP1, but SP1 is not out yet. In fact, we're still on beta 1, they haven't even released any interm builds.

    22. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by Dahan · · Score: 2
      Since XP involved virtually 100% new code, I wouldn't really call it a Service Pack.

      Actually, XP is Windows NT 5.1. Windows 2000 is Windows NT 5.0. Far from "virtually 100% new code."

    23. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by nathanh · · Score: 2
      a, buy XP is a HUGE upgrade from ME. Heck, it's almost a completely different product.

      What do you mean by "almost"? They are completely different products. XP is NT and ME is DOS 7 with a pretty shell.

    24. Re:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE by @madeus · · Score: 2

      Because the 10.1 upgrade was only and upgrade CD (and did a full install anyway) I felt it was it a pain the ass to install and meant I had two CD's, rather than one, to take care of (when they could have had a simple exchange program. Yes, better than Microsoft, but not as good as say, Sun. :)

      Re: Windows 98 & USB support actually you can get USB support in Windows 98 initial release and even Windows 95 both via a free download from Microsoft (though most devices *said* Windows 98 was required for USB support most actually worked fine in an appropriately upgraded Windows 95).

      Your right about MS being expensive for upgrades. A Windows 98 CD was about 120 UKP and the upgrade was about 70 UKP, so I bought the upgrade (hey I had just bought my first place and was earning only 12K UKP a year in my first 'proper' job:). Now I didn't have Windows 95 or 3.1 CD and needed to do a fresh install on my brand new x86 games boxen but I was feeling weasely.

      The 'required specs' for the upgrade effectively said Windows 3.1 or newer required, or something to that effect. Now as I said I didn't have Windows 95 or 3.1 CD's, but I did have a licensed SoftPC running 3.1 on my Mac, so I called Microsoft tech support, they agreed that was legally within the term's of the license for the CD and without any argument gave me a full license (non upgrade key) for the CD over the phone- meaning that I could now do upgrades as well as clean installs with it. Mmm technicalites.

  52. And it still doesn't crash as often as my Win box. by Mr.+Bundy · · Score: 1

    But I do agree with the mouse bit. Thank you, Kensington.

  53. Bad news for linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    These announcemnets maybe great and all, but they seem to have their problems. I doubt that people will pay for 10.2, even if it is based of the worlds greatest os. Besides why should they pay for it when it is free! The same for the patches, that is very inferior and m$ like.

    Why dose apple have to have a windows version of its Ipod? It seems that apple is abandoing us and turing to the dark side of M$! As a
    Linux user I feel betraied that they haven't made us one!

    End BS

  54. And the rest of us? by neema · · Score: 3, Informative

    The iPod news is great. Especially if it were to have happened a few months ago when I actually purchased the thing.

    I appreciate the response to what the market wanted. But half of the indication that the market wanted a Windows version iPod was that some people (read: me) bought it and worked around the mac-only restriction. Are there not going to be any updates?

    Interesting enough, my wheel has deteriated a bit, and when I wrote CS for Apple telling them about it, they said that what I was describing was "not a common problem" and that it didn't "inhibit use of the iPod" so it really wasn't a problem. I wonder why they released a touch-sensitive, non-moving wheel if it wasn't such a common problem.

    The reason working with Apple is a hassle is because of releases like this. While I would shit my pants to be able to switch my iPod with one with a touch sensitive wheel... fine, that's understandable. Such is the progression of technology. But a carrying case? It's not exactly an "industry first", as Apple likes to say about most things they do. Why not throw it out there when I had purchased my 10 gig beforehand? When I had purchased my Nomad II MG before this mp3 player, it came with a case. Not a good case, mind you, but it still came with it. That was appreciated.

    1. Re:And the rest of us? by dhovis · · Score: 2
      Interesting enough, my wheel has deteriated a bit, and when I wrote CS for Apple telling them about it, they said that what I was describing was "not a common problem" and that it didn't "inhibit use of the iPod" so it really wasn't a problem. I wonder why they released a touch-sensitive, non-moving wheel if it wasn't such a common problem.

      I recall seeing somewhere online a tip for iPod scrollwheels which are too loose. You can pop the scrollwheel off and squirt a little of a certain kind of grease into the bearing. Cost: about $5.

      Here are instructions: http://www.ipodding.com/modules.php?op=modload&nam e=News&file=article&sid=486

      I hope that helps.

      --

      --
      The internet is the greatest source of biased information in the history of mankind.

    2. Re:And the rest of us? by pretoris · · Score: 1

      By your logic I should get a new Acura RSX just because my Integra is now "outdated"? That makes no sense. Times change, markets change, the economies of scale change, costs go up, they go down - so does the market. That's why the iMac was not-to-long-ago raised in price, and the iPod now comes with a case.

    3. Re:And the rest of us? by mgblst · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The trick is to keep waiting. Always keep waiting, because there is always something better aroung the corner, this is why i only have a p2-266. Sure you miss out on heaps of cool stuff, but at least you don't get BITTER at waisting a lot of money.

    4. Re:And the rest of us? by twiztidlojik · · Score: 1

      I found it rather ironic that Mediafour was there with their Windows iPod software, whilst Apple was making big inroads into their area of the market. Will Apple make Windows users use iTunes and make mediafour's creation incompatible? What with the whole 10.2 upgrade and .Mac thing going on, you figure that Apple would want them not to use 3rd party products to sync their iPods.

      --
      I will now redundantly add my name to the end of my post. You know, in case you forgot me or something.
    5. Re:And the rest of us? by oyvindmo · · Score: 1

      That's why I feel so happy about my new way of getting rid of my money: pinball machines. They are still fast and fun, even though their CPU, if any, is a 680x or thereabout.

      (Additional entertainment value: telling people that I bought a 6809 machine for $1000+.)

  55. Hmmm. by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 2
    audible.com integration sync between the iPod and iTunes. Sound volume check has also been added to the iPod.

    There. Now I just might get an iPod, and by extention, a mac.

    Audible.com is the shiznit, and those long commutes are much easier when you've got 18 hours of The Diamond Age or such like to listen to. :-)

    --
    Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
    1. Re:Hmmm. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      battery life on ipod is 10hours

  56. $258?!?!?! by Thoth+Ptolemy · · Score: 1

    Huh? Where's that number coming from? Isn't it going to cost $128 for the full OS, and less for OSX.1->OSX.2 Updates?
    That's how Apple's always done it before...

    1. Re:$258?!?!?! by King+Babar · · Score: 2
      Huh? Where's that number coming from? Isn't it going to cost $128 for the full OS, and less for OSX.1->OSX.2 Updates?

      That's how Apple's always done it before...

      The update cost is $129, and there are two Macs in the house; I'm guessing that for Rendezvous to work, both computers would need to be running 10.2.

      2*$129 = $258.

      ...of course, that ignores the cost of the new printer that will be Rendezvous-aware.

      And, alas, it *does* look like this update will cost $129 even for user OS X 10.1 users, unless they change their upgrade policy. What they are aiming for here is a couple of million folks going along, getting them $258 million in cash and a huge profit margin.

      That's where my numbers came from.

      --

      Babar

    2. Re:$258?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What they're doing is making _YOU_ directly pay for this obnoxiou Switch campaign. Have fun seeing Will Farrell on TV, it sure isn't free for the Mac user. =)

    3. Re:$258?!?!?! by naasking · · Score: 1

      I don't think they license Mac OS X per computer like MS. If you buy one Mac OS X CD, that should be good for all your computers.

    4. Re:$258?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, the license is per-computer. The difference is that Apple doesn't enforce the license in the software, so you are able to install MacOS X from the same CD multiple times, or (more legitimately) install and reinstall without having to check with Apple for permission.

    5. Re:$258?!?!?! by pi+radians · · Score: 2

      No, it is only for one user license. But the OS doesn't check for serial numbers or anything, so you'll be fine (but crooked) ifyou just buy one and install it on both computers.

      --

      sin(6cos(r)+5A)
    6. Re:$258?!?!?! by DavidRavenMoon · · Score: 2
      The update cost is $129, and there are two Macs in the house; I'm guessing that for Rendezvous to work, both computers would need to be running 10.2.

      2*$129 = $258.

      Ummmmm, you can buy one copy and install on both Macs.. what are you, simple? Apple doesn't use unlocking codes like MS.

      You are actually a Windows user, aren't you?

      --
      -- if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic - Lewis Carrol
  57. investors say bah! by bugpit · · Score: 1

    Looks like Apple stock took a drubbing despite the announcements, it was down around 14% at 11:45 EST, see this article for more poop.

    --
    We have found the enemy and he is us. - Pogo
    1. Re:investors say bah! by theolein · · Score: 2

      More likely because of the announcements.

    2. Re:investors say bah! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Appl lost 15% on opening..which is due to the poor profit they made....that's it. Not related to the announcements.

  58. 17" IMAC? by ramadanoman · · Score: 0, Troll

    Wow, a 17inch iMac. Perhaps this would be cool if we put it in a time machine and shipped it back to 1997 (when 17" CRT monitors were considered cutting edge). Too bad all the iMac users have already suffered eye damage from watching iPorn on their using their fuzzy screened iMacs.

    -Ramadanoman

    1. Re:17" IMAC? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      17" LCD != 17" CRT

    2. Re:17" IMAC? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have touched on the what many believe as the key issue with Apple's offerings. They make huge announcements wrapped in flashy marketing spin, only for users to realize later what was actually presented.

      In essence, they announced:

      1. a 17" lcd monitor
      2. a 20 GB Hard Drive
      3. an Address Book; Calendar; et. al.
      4. file syncronization
      5. mp3 playlists

      The fact is, there are no new technologies here - much less anything revolutionary. I understand how excited individuals can get, especially when they *want* to be excited...

      I want to see innovation - from Apple, from Microsoft, from whomever. Re-packaging long-existing technologies is not something companies of this size can afford to be bankrolling on.

      And what exactly was their R&D budget to come out with these technological marvels?

    3. Re:17" IMAC? by hey! · · Score: 2

      Have you actually seen the screen on the "Desklamp" style iMacs? We have plenty of flat panel displays around but they look like crap next to the iMac displays.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    4. Re:17" IMAC? by entrox · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Care to take a look at the new iMac, retard? It's a 17" LCD. Widescreen! Sheesh.

      --
      -- The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'.
    5. Re:17" IMAC? by ramadanoman · · Score: 0

      Perhaps I failed to get my point across. I'll try again : "Wait, I have an idea, lets put an LCD in a CRT case so we can spend lots of money on it and have it look like our 1998 model. This way we can simultaneously negate all the space saving benefits it affords and force future upgrades.

      -Ramadanoman

    6. Re:17" IMAC? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      I guess you slept through that whole LCD thing where displays magically grew 2". That is, a 15" LCD is the same effective size as a 17" monitor. And I'm really curious as to where you found a fuzzy-screened iMac. The only ones I've ever seen have smooth plastics...fuzzy might be an interesting switch...

      Or were you trolling? My bad, dude.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    7. Re:17" IMAC? by maniac11 · · Score: 2
      17" LCD, not CRT, friend. Apple's LCDs are bee-yu-tee-full.

      17-inch display resolutions: 1440 by 900 (native), 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio.

      --
      Guvegrra?
    8. Re:17" IMAC? by damiam · · Score: 1

      This is a flat-panel, if you didn't notice. A 17" flat-panel has the same screen-size as a 19" CRT. Plus it's widescreen.

      --
      It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
    9. Re:17" IMAC? by ramadanoman · · Score: 0


      I only have a problem with users who eat all the propaganda given to them by Apple. They routinely hype products with sub par specs (like the iBook with its lame 32 Megs or RAM) and kill competition (like when they put a stop to the MAC clones . . which were great). MAlloc? Where was it 5 years ago? Apple once again sold out its user base with OSX (basically MAC users are people on smaller networks and are less concerned with how a computer works and more with getting the job done). OSX is simply too hard for old MAC users to use and defeats the purpose of running a MAC. The only people figuring it out (and not calling me for support) are people who can afford to spend 6 hours a day reading MAC propaganda. I still go to Apple events and you know what? All they talk about it iMovie (and the audience cheers). Sorry if people don't like this pointed out.

      The idea of putting a LCD in a CRT case is stupid (especially when they just finished making such a big deal about the space saving features of the Cube (which was cool).

      It amazes me that it is accepted and almost even required behavior for Windows users to rag on Microsoft while so much as a stray thought not along Apple's company line is met with and absurd amount of resistance by the Mac faithful. I use MACs but have been viciously turned on many times by other MAC users, no matter how constructive I attempted to be (so why bother). Its a freaking computer and its treated like its a religion.

      At least the poor Windows users have learned to question Microsoft's motives, tactics and logic.

      As I stated (I wasn't trolling)

      Perhaps I failed to get my point across. I'll try again : "Wait, I have an idea, lets put an LCD in a CRT case so we can spend lots of money on it and have it look like our 1998 model. This way we can simultaneously negate all the space saving benefits it affords and force future upgrades.

      -Ramadanoman

    10. Re:17" IMAC? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The idea of putting a LCD in a CRT case is stupid (especially when they just finished making such a big deal about the space saving features of the Cube (which was cool).

      What are you talking about? It's not a CRT case at all. It's an LCD machine in an LCD case, completely LCD. Are you blind or do you just refuse to go the apple site to see it yourself?

    11. Re:17" IMAC? by Fear+the+Clam · · Score: 1

      The idea of putting a LCD in a CRT case is stupid

      It sounds like you're confusing the 17" LCD iMac with the 17" CRT eMac.

      That's not really surprising, seeing that you're one of those fucktards who writes MAC when you mean Mac.

    12. Re:17" IMAC? by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 1

      Excuse me? Exactly which iMac has an LCD in a CRT case? Do you even know anything about Macs?

  59. iSync sounds nice, but... by qwerpoiu · · Score: 2, Funny

    when will it support my sailboat?

  60. hmm sweet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so does that thing work with emacs?

    i'd like to send my older apple newton thang out to get repaired, that puppy kicked a&^%$@*!

  61. well that sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I just got a new G4 at work for development, and it came with 10.1.

    I was hoping 10.2 would be free -- they should have at least included one of those handy coupons for a free upgrade to 10.2 like Dell and others did when Win XP was released (shipping your system with 98 or 2000, but giving you the coupon for the equivalent version of XP).

    Worse things have happened, though.

  62. TOTAL OUTRAGE by YOND+R+BOY · · Score: 1

    oh, I see. I must pay apple $100 or else I lose my FREE email address in 70-something days??? I hate to state the obvious but I encourage all of you with mac.com email addresses to express your outrage to Apple in email form. Sure, I can understand they need the money but this is just wrong.

    1. Re:TOTAL OUTRAGE by Moofie · · Score: 1

      TANSTAAFL.

      (there ain't so such thing as a free lunch)

      And, if you're not paying them money, you're not a customer, and they don't have to listen to you. Get over it.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    2. Re:TOTAL OUTRAGE by YOND+R+BOY · · Score: 1

      this is the age of free software, not the age of $100 web email addresses

    3. Re:TOTAL OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh boo fucking hoo; cry me a river.

      Welcome to the real world, where goods and services cost money. You had your free, excuse me, FREE taste. Now buy more or piss off.

    4. Re:TOTAL OUTRAGE by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Free software? Sure. Free web services? Days are numbered. You can't find good, free, POP email anymore. So I'll settle for good, reasonably priced email.

      Or get a good friend who will give me good, free POP email, which is what I do. Aren't I clever?

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    5. Re:TOTAL OUTRAGE by discstickers · · Score: 2

      ::cough:: Troll ::cough::

      Um, if you have one now, it'll be $50 for a year. Not bad considering what else you get besides the email. Oh, and when did Apple ever say that your mac.com address would be free forever?

      --
      I have a shitty sig!
    6. Re:TOTAL OUTRAGE by pcsonka · · Score: 1

      Mine more Gold! (Warcraft 3 reference)

    7. Re:TOTAL OUTRAGE by bpbond · · Score: 1

      They are providing a service to you, and one that I guarantee comes at considerable expense. Absolutely go ahead--express yourself and your outrage--but I will either judge that service worth $100, and pay, or not, and quit. It's not at all clear to me why I would *deserve* free email, online storage, et ceteta.

      --
      "Science is a tribute to what we can know although we are fallible" -Jacob Bronowski
    8. Re:TOTAL OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      None of the free services are going away. Paying is only for people who want to upgrade. Email accounts and iDisks will work the same as currently for free.

    9. Re:TOTAL OUTRAGE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are right. Free means free for life. Free forever. They can never ever decide that the free service is too costly, and try to cover expenses.

  63. iCal! by tjw · · Score: 1


    Funny, I've already been using Ical for many years.

    Of course the one I use was written by Sanjay Ghemawat, not Apple. It doesn't cost a hundred bones a year either.

    --

    XJS*C4JDBQADN1.NSBN3*2IDNEN*GTUBE-STANDARD-ANTI-UB E-TEST-EMAIL*C.34X
    1. Re:iCal! by saddino · · Score: 1

      FYI iCal calendars can be published to any web server, so the app, and it's functionality is free.

  64. python included with MacOS 10.2 by Corvus · · Score: 2, Informative
    Another step forward for python. See Apple - Mac OS X - Feature - UNIX

    Oh yeah, ruby too.

  65. iChat +AIM = First 'Real' Headway? by Mr.+Fusion · · Score: 1

    Does anyone know if Apple has a deal with AOL(TW) over the use of AOL Instant Messenger? Or will they just get kicked off the service like so many that have tried before? I personally would like to see the end of the messenger shoot-off and have AIM-compatibility all around.

    -Mr. Fusion

    1. Re:iChat +AIM = First 'Real' Headway? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple and AOL have been working concurrently on iChat integration with AIM, so no worries there about getting booted.

      ____________________________________

      Hello
      My Name is Bingo
      I Like to Climb on Things
      Can I Have a Banana
      Eek Eek

    2. Re:iChat +AIM = First 'Real' Headway? by nullard · · Score: 2

      As Apple has stated repeatedly and Steve mentioned in is keynote, Apple is the first company that AOL allowed under the hood of AIM. This is 100% AOL sanctioned.

      --


      t'nera semordnilap
    3. Re:iChat +AIM = First 'Real' Headway? by foo12 · · Score: 1

      Yes, they do. AOL let Apple in on the specs for the "good" protocol (is that TOC or OSCAR or ...? I've not paid much attention to it lately.)

    4. Re:iChat +AIM = First 'Real' Headway? by wrenkin · · Score: 2

      I heard they had a deal. It was mentioned in that article the other day about microsoft "Stealing their thunder". MS was upset that Apple didn't consider MSN Messenger instead.

      --
      -- "Is this death or is this Ohio?"
  66. 4 to 6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0



    (4 to 6 pin cable)

  67. iTools/.Mac value? by henele · · Score: 1

    I really, really dug the old iTools regime (site hosting was always solid and the email service equally strong). But now, with slight upgrades offered we are now made to pay.. This brings up the question of the value offered by the service (for the $49 / $100).. I guess people out there already know infinately more already then I could gather from research, so how does their service compare to the others out there?

  68. iTunes & Rendevous by SpillerC · · Score: 1

    Did anyone else think that Jobs' demo of discovery of other machines to stream live music from is an attempt to avoid sticky copyright issues with copying music a la limewire/kazaa? Perhaps we can all just stream music back and forth, once we "rendevous" to a whole bunch of machines.

  69. Jaguar by Pingsmoth · · Score: 1

    How come the new "jaguar" OSX logo looks like it's a cheetah?

    --
    http://www.walkingtaco.com
    1. Re:Jaguar by wrenkin · · Score: 2

      It's not. If you look in the top right hand corner of the now-Patterned 'Mac OS X' tab on apple's site, you will see that the jaguar spot behind said title is more of ring. This is what makes jaguars easy to distinguish from cheetahs, who would have solid spots.

      --
      -- "Is this death or is this Ohio?"
  70. 7.692 percent thinner! by aclarke · · Score: 1

    Well, I guess I'll have to run out and get one now. My current iPod is exactly 7.692% too thick! Thank goodness the new one isn't, say, only 7.69*1* percent thinner...

  71. Dont like it? by cybercuzco · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you dont like the .mac fees, let apple know here This is a general discussion forum for the new .mac service.

    --

    1. Re:Dont like it? by lunenburg · · Score: 2

      Looks like Apple is actively moderating that forum - I saw the number of topics go from 8 to 2 in a few minutes while I was reading them.

    2. Re:Dont like it? by cybercuzco · · Score: 2

      yup, it looks like apple doesnt like criticism very much. Not only that, but you have to be an itools member to post, so all the complaints that are getting zapped are from people who use apples service right now.

      --

    3. Re:Dont like it? by lunenburg · · Score: 2

      Actually, your iTools account doesn't work for those forums. You need an "Apple Account", which you can use for stuff like downloading developer tools, etc.

      At least that's what happened when I tried my iTools username/password.

      The sentiment's the same, though.

    4. Re:Dont like it? by shekel · · Score: 1

      Looks like somebody has a petition page going here:

      http://www.petitiononline.com/iTol/petition.html

    5. Re:Dont like it? by anarkhos · · Score: 1

      This is either a clever form of sarcasm or the worst form of ass-kissing I have ever seen!

      I find it ironic that Steve Jobs compared iTools to Yahoo and Hotmail, both of which offer FREE EMAIL!

      --
      >80 column hard wrapped e-mail is not a sign of intelligent
      >life
    6. Re:Dont like it? by rjung2k · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but it's only free web-access mail. POP and IMAP (which is what iTools, er, .mac, uses) costs $$$.

  72. I can't update my iPod? by weave · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Not only did I get screwed by buying a 10GB iPod two weeks ago for $499, it looks like I can't upgrade the software on it to include all those neat new features announced.

    The ipod software download is still at the older version 1.1....

    Grrr...

    1. Re:I can't update my iPod? by LenE · · Score: 2

      Did you get iTunes3 or some other iPod software?

      -- Len

    2. Re:I can't update my iPod? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So return it and buy the 20 gig iPod instead.

    3. Re:I can't update my iPod? by surajrai · · Score: 1

      I think the new iPods are coming out in August so I am assuming that they will release a software update sometime between now and then for the exisiting iPods... I really like the playcount sync feature.

    4. Re:I can't update my iPod? by dhovis · · Score: 3, Informative

      I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I heard Steve say that the new features would be available to existing iPods. Since the new ones are not shipping yet anyway, I doubt that the new firmware is fully ready yet anyway.

      They did this once already (iPod 1.1 added vCards, for instance)

      --

      --
      The internet is the greatest source of biased information in the history of mankind.

    5. Re:I can't update my iPod? by weave · · Score: 2

      Since itunes 3 is out and a lot of its new features depends on new software on the ipod (like the play count feature), it's not a reach to assume that both updates (itunes and ipod) would come out at same time.

    6. Re:I can't update my iPod? by Bwana · · Score: 1

      Not til August :(

      According to AppleCare. Confirmed on the MWNY floor.

      --

      "Electric Relaxation" - ATCQ
      - Bwana
    7. Re:I can't update my iPod? by weave · · Score: 2

      Thanks for the news and confirmation that there will at least be a software update for the ipod in August. It does make me wonder how they will implement the clock feature. I guess it sets its time from the host mac, but how does it keep running after power is turned off of ipod? Do the ipods have a clock in their circuitry?!

  73. FWIW by linuxpng · · Score: 2

    Apple finally fixed the visulization plugins in itunes 3 so that you get decent framerates. They also let it take advantage of the powerbooks widescreen display. Nice update

  74. Re:New iMac Designed With Ancient Mathematical Sec by mikeee · · Score: 2

    Now, if they just change that silly hemispherical base to a pyramid they'll really have sometime.

  75. YOU CAN'T USE THE SAME IPOD ON WINDOWS AND MAC by Krashed · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I just got off the phone with Apple and they said "you'll have to buy two ipods if you want to use them on Windows and the Mac." Damn it, why can't Apple just for once make it easy.

    I am putting off my order of the iPod until I find out if there is a workaround for the "feature". That really bytes too cause it looks like the Apple Store is also offering a free car power adapter with the purchase of the iPod.

    1. Re:YOU CAN'T USE THE SAME IPOD ON WINDOWS AND MAC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      You can't use the same iPod on two Mac's either. It's the pound of flesh Apple paid to the copyright gods, to make sure that the iPod wasn't seen as a music stealing device instead of a music playing device.

      The implementation is that one iPod is linked to one computer and you can't use it to trade music from computer to computer. Of course there are hacks to get around this, but iTunes won't let you synch up music to your Mac if the music on the iPod was downloaded from another Mac. I assume the same thing will be true with the Windows version.

    2. Re:YOU CAN'T USE THE SAME IPOD ON WINDOWS AND MAC by M'Barr · · Score: 2, Informative

      You most likely can use the same iPod on windows without using the Apple/MusicMatch software. Remember, you can't use the same iPod on 2 Macs, really, either.

      If you access the iPod on the PC, you should be able to use XPlay, for much less than a new iPod.

      Matthew

    3. Re:YOU CAN'T USE THE SAME IPOD ON WINDOWS AND MAC by Keith+Russell · · Score: 2

      We know for certain that the software is different (MusicMatch instead of a Windows port of iTunes), and the Firewire cable is 6-to-4, not 6-to-6. But Apple is being quite vague about other differences between the Windows and Mac versions. AFAICT, the Windows version doesn't support contacts, iCal, or Audible.com content. That might simply be a [Win|Mac] flag in the firmware. But if the Windows version is useable as a Firewire removable drive, it's almost certainly formatted FAT32. Again, that could simply be a [FAT|HFS] flag, but it's more likely that in the interests of space, the firmware can only support one file system.

      --
      This sig intentionally left blank.
    4. Re:YOU CAN'T USE THE SAME IPOD ON WINDOWS AND MAC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As far as I can tell (asking an Apple rep today at the show), there is _no_ difference between the Windows and Mac version of the iPod itself. The differences are in the desktop computer software (there's no PC version of iCal, iSynch, etc., so those features can't be used on a PC), and because many PC's have unpowered FireWire ports Apple is including an adaptor to provide power. So it's not that the Windows version of the iPod won't support vCard, vCalendar, etc., just that there's no PC software (in the box at least) to send the data to the iPod from a PC.

      I bet it takes less than 10 minutes for someone to write a PC app that writes Outlook/Notes/Palm address and calendar data into vCard and vCalendar files in the proper place on the iPod (it's just a firewire drive after all) to do pretty much what you can do with an iPod on the Mac.

      I'm assuming that they mount the iPod into the PC filesystem, the way XPlay does...

  76. 17" is wide profile by inkfox · · Score: 4, Informative
    Bonus cool points:

    Not only is the display 17", at 1440 x 900 with square pixels, it's wide aspect. This is far better for movie playback.

    I'm seriously tempted to get one just for watching DVDs.

    --
    Says the RIAA: When you EQ, you're stealing bass!
    1. Re:17" is wide profile by inkfox · · Score: 2
      Also worth mention: The 17" iMac uses Geforce4MX. Not surprising, given that the Geforce2MX chipset isn't going to drive a digital display any larger than 1280x960, but still another worthy improvement.

      Shame it's MX and not straight Geforce 4, but I keep forgetting that the iMac is supposed to be the "low end" machine. Because it sure doesn't look it, ya know?

      Am I going to hell if I buy one just for movie watching and backup mail/dns on the home DSL?

      --
      Says the RIAA: When you EQ, you're stealing bass!
    2. Re:17" is wide profile by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then why is it priced as much as my high end PC? p4 2.53 Ghz, 512 meg of 1066 RDRAM, GF4 ti4600 120 gig HD cost $2000. (Ok no DVD burner, just CD burner, but for an extra $250 to replace the cd burner...) Steve proving once again that macs "Cost more, do less".

    3. Re:17" is wide profile by Jeffrey+Baker · · Score: 2

      Uh, your $2,000 "high-end" peecee seems to be lacking a 17" digital TFT display and mouting arm. The only other machine with a widescreen TFT display is the Fujitsu C815-T, which lists for $3299. A 4:3 display of like kind and quality, like the Samsung 170T, will run you $700, and a mouting arm from Ergotron will run $300.

    4. Re:17" is wide profile by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      God, not to mention that that Fujitsu is HIDEOUS.

  77. Somewhat reasonable... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mac OS 10.0 was released on March 24th 2001 with a suggested retail value of $129. OS 10.1 was a free upgrade if you could get to an Apple store, or $20 via mail. OS 10.2 will be released August 24th 2002 and has a price tag of $129. Considering it has been over a year and a half since Apple has taxed me for using the OS, I feel an upgrade price is appropriate considering all of the features etc. I do agree that the $129 price is high (and will probably promote "sharing"). I would have been happier to see a $79 upgrade price, but I feel that we are getting more then what we are paying for after taking a long hard look at what we get (iMovie, iTunes, iChat, iCal, Mail and iSync [not to mention all of the Unix underpinnings!])

    Rendezvous (lord, that's hard to spell) is simply 1) Amazing 2) Easy to set up 3) Long overdue... I'm so tired of explaining to people that shouldn't be touching a network how I have my system set up! (http://www.apple.com/macosx/jaguar/rendezvous.htm l)

    Apple is also giving the $500 version of Microsoft Office v.X a serious run for it's money considering they have given Mail an overhaul and created iCal. That's two applications out of six that they offer native in the OS X. (remember that Apple has AppleWorks [Wordprocessor, spreadsheet, presentation and database] that are about 65% of what Office is.

    The .mac thing is really expensive, and I'm afraid that I'm going to have to walk away from the service until they impress me with something more. (unless I can get work to pay for it) The only reason I used iTools was because it was easy and FREE.

    The 20GB iPod is cool (no big deal regarding GB size) but I do like the "remote" and new software features. It's starting to look more and more like a Palm competitor if you ask me...

    17" iMac is cool (I'm rather sure I'm going to be picking one up)... but it really didn't address many of the issues I had with the old one. The eMac is still a better deal (granted the eMac has a zero cool factor)

    I LOVE the look of the OS 10.2 box (again, flame me for liking a well designed promotional piece) They even have a Jag theme on the web site (http://www.apple.com/macosx/)

    Apple impressed me with all of the connectivity that they showcased (Rendezvous working with iTunes, iCal and Bluetooth etc). It's about time that they came up with a input once, use everywhere database. I'm counting down the days...

  78. On .mac by Srsen · · Score: 1

    The more I look at it, the more I like the new .mac and I plan on paying for it. The combination of the calendar, webmail, address book, etc. all through web services means I can finally have true integration across my Mac at home and my PC at work. That's easily worth the $8 a month. And once the new iPods are out with contacts and calendars, I will be putting my Palm up for sale on eBay and saying goodbye to Palm Desktop for good.

    Now all I need is a new iBook with built-in Bluetooth and I'm good to go.

    1. Re:On .mac by Fear+the+Clam · · Score: 1

      And once the new iPods are out with contacts and calendars, I will be putting my Palm up for sale on eBay

      Not so fast. Remember, there isn't a way to input data on the iPod. Yet.

  79. Mac OS X Internet Connection.. by mojorisin67_71 · · Score: 1

    Having all the nice new iTunes,iPod etc..
    is great.But apple should concentrate its efforts
    in fixing their internet connection software.
    [Internet connection is the dial-up program in
    MAc OS X.]. Consumers will get frustrated very
    soon with Max OS X if they cannot connect
    reliably to the internet.

    Mac OS 10.1 has been very flaky in been able
    to maintain a connection to the internet
    over a 56K modem. Apple has released
    various patches but the problems seem
    to keep reappearing.

    I personally would buy a Apple product
    but to recommend OS X to a non-computer
    savvy usr is difficult with all the problems
    with the dial-up 56K modem.

    1. Re:Mac OS X Internet Connection.. by afantee · · Score: 1

      Which version are you talking about? There was initially a problem with Modem connection, but it has been fixed quite awhile ago, at least for me.

      In any case, get a broadband, it doesn't cost much more.

  80. It wasn't until that afternoon... by awrc · · Score: 1

    ...when Bill Gates announced that henceforth Windows would be free and "insanely great" that the horrible truth behind the Corporate Personality Transfer Ray became apparent.

  81. The 17" iMac is a dream machine for developers by afantee · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Wow, I bet Apple will sell tons of this. For $200 more than the 15" iMac ($100 more than the original price), you a GeForce4 + 80 GB drive + the gorgeous 1440x900 cinematic display instead of GeForce2 + 60 GB + 1024x768. Who would still buy the 15" models?

    And of course, it's also a first class and virtually portable Unix workstation with the best GUI on top of a rock solid open source foundation plus FREE and great programming tools, who on earth will ever pay silly money to buy a Wintel PC, or a Sun, HP, IBM or SGI machines? Apple is officially the biggest volume Unix vendor with 2.5 million installed base within the first year of OS X release, and that number will be doubled by the end of this year. Should MS and Dell be concerned ? My answer is yes, especially when considering the new features in the upcoming Jaguar, and the ever quickening innovations that Apple is creating on both the software and the hardware fronts.

    1. Re:The 17" iMac is a dream machine for developers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      You're deluding yourself, buddy. Dell isnt worried at all, they deal ALOT with schools and businesses and everyone I know wants a "Dell". And Microsoft has BILLIONS of cash.. and 90%+ of the O/S and office suite marketplace.

      $2000 is still double the price of an Athlon-based PC that'll probably smoke a G4. Plus Windows 2000/XP is stable as heck and I havent had any crashes.

    2. Re:The 17" iMac is a dream machine for developers by afantee · · Score: 1

      >> $2000 is still double the price of an Athlon-based PC that'll probably smoke a G4.

      Are you telling me that you can buy any branded PC with 17" cinematic flat panel screen and DVD burning capability and 80 GB drive for $1000, let alone a stylish and virtually silent beauty that just occupies a corner of your desk and comes with all the applications you dream of for your digital lifestyle and programming tools.

      By the way, Apple have over $4 billions cash, there are more and more people switching to a far superior platform, and MS are scared. They have more market share now, and have more to lose to both Mac and Linux.

      Dell is just a cheap box maker. Do they have any other skills, or contribute anything to this industry? Two friends of mine bought Dell laptops in the last year or so, and both were sent back within a few weeks.

    3. Re:The 17" iMac is a dream machine for developers by jbolden · · Score: 1

      I agree that Mac offers a better value than PCs. But they don't sell anything to compete with Sun or SGI (or for that matter RS/6000 by IBM...). They are no more a threat to high end workstations / servers than they are to Maytag. Where do I buy my Mac controller card that does direct Fiber Channel Raid to RAM writes bypassing the CPU and using the memory controller subsystem? Where is Mac's support for 100+ monitor sized presentation systems? What part of .mac backup allows me to have my data stored in a nuclear safe facility? How strong is the distributed clustering system? Which Mac vendor supports multi petabyte databases? Where is the built in support for MetaCode and AFP so they could even run a commercial printer?

      Lets get a grip here. Mac makes a damn fine workstation in the $1k-4k range they aren't a threat to IBM, HP, SGI...

    4. Re:The 17" iMac is a dream machine for developers by tpv · · Score: 1
      you a GeForce4
      That's a GeForce4 MX, so don't get too excited.

      To quote John Carmack's plan:

      On the topic of current Nvidia cards:
      Do not buy a GeForce4-MX for Doom.

      Nvidia has really made a mess of the naming conventions here. I always thought it was bad enough that GF2 was just a speed bumped GF1, while GF3 had significant architectural improvements over GF2. I expected GF4 to be the speed bumped GF3, but calling the NV17 GF4-MX really sucks.
      GF4-MX will still run Doom properly, but it will be using the NV10 codepath with only two texture units and no vertex shaders. A GF3 or 8500 will be much better performers.

      You can find other reviews out on the net, but tech wise, a GF4MX is just a faster GF2.

      --
      Read more of this story at Slashdot.Read more of this story at Slashdot.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  82. spinning disk / ball by SethJohnson · · Score: 2


    I noticed that if I don't keep a cd in my cdrom drive, then I see that spinning ball a lot less. For some wierd reason (I'm sure others on slashdot can explain) a bunch of user interface actions require the computer to check the cdrom drive. Really annoying because it takes a while for the cd to spin up, etc.
  83. iCan't deal with this naming convention by Skidmarq · · Score: 1

    iThink they've run the concept into the ground. iM tired of seeing everything start with "i". iLl have to avoid them because of this.

    --

    "I don't think I ain't" -Thompson's Corollary to Descartes

  84. It's Official: Jobs has lost it ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Steve, from one Mac user (since '86) to another, $130 for bugfixes and a few extra features, plus $100 per year for a mac.com email account is just insane. Please just put the crack pipe down for a second.

    Yes, the Mac looks cool and Aqua is nice but not that nice. Comparing the costs of Macs and Linux:

    Macs:

    Extra up front hardware costs

    Extra repair costs

    OS upgrade costs

    Higher application costs

    Lower "years in service" model

    Per seat licencing

    Linux:

    Uses standard PC hardware

    Uses standard PC parts.

    Runs well on "older" hardware (i.e. PIII)

    Lots quality Open Source programs, most for no money

    No per seat licencing issues

    I was planning on buying a new Mac this year but forget it. I've been using my linux box more and more and soon Macs will be nothing more than a fond, distant memory to me. AC

    1. Re:It's Official: Jobs has lost it ... by afantee · · Score: 1

      >> $130 for bugfixes and a few extra features, plus $100 per year for a mac.com email account is just insane.

      Not sure whether you are just plain stupid or ignorant. Have you ever used Mac OS X? Jaguar is not a bug fix, and has 150 new features. Apple is the only major computer left in this industry that are capable of innovating and taking risk, not a charity. Reasonable people are willing to pay a small price for Apple has done for us.

      I have used virtually every other platform, there is nothing that even comes close to Mac OS X, and Linux is not even an option for most common people.

      By the way, Macs use standard PC hardware too.

    2. Re:It's Official: Jobs has lost it ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wrong. "Jaguar" or 10.0.2 IS merely a bug fix and those new features should have been in 10.0.0 which was *completely* unuseable. 10.0.2 should be a free upgrade for those people brave or stupid enough to have had to put up with 10.0.0 or 10.0.1 and their hideous infancy problems.

    3. Re:It's Official: Jobs has lost it ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      most people, regular joes, have used Windows ever since they've used computers and are now used to the quirks of Windows.. & now with Windows 2000 not crashing, I dont see a mass of people switching to Macs, unless they're very well off or want to be a Mac snob.

    4. Re:It's Official: Jobs has lost it ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or if they're a teeny-bopper dweeb like you.

    5. Re:It's Official: Jobs has lost it ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      afantee said:
      "By the way, Macs use standard PC hardware too."

      Huh? Ever try to buy a power supply for a Mac? I have and they are no way "standard PC hardware".

      To replace a dead PC power supply:
      1. Go down to CompUSA or local PC builder and buy a PS (maybe $45 for a 350w).
      2. Go home and install.
      Total downtime: ~4 hours

      To replace a dead PowerMac power supply:
      Order one from TechData or Ingram, praying they have one in stock. Wait at least three days. BTW, most people can't buy from these guys and are stuck with places like Sun Remarketing or Shreve Systems). Add an extra week if going this route.
      Total downtime: ~1 week

      Then there's the cost of the Mac PS. A G3 or G3 one will cost at least $200 (ouch). If you have an iMac it's off to the shop to have someone (that knows what they're doing) install one. Cost: >$250

      Don't get me wrong, Macs are cool. Somethings (like Cocoa and Aqua) are more advance than anything else out there but, IMO, do not make up for Apple's short comings.

    6. Re:It's Official: Jobs has lost it ... by Bwana · · Score: 1

      No No No!! C'mon people at least try!

      Wrong. "Jaguar" or 10.0.2 IS merely a bug fix and those new features should have been in 10.0.0 which was *completely* unuseable.

      You missed the year 2002. 10.1 was a bugfix for the "unusable" 10.0 version. 10.1.x is the latest, STABLE, version.

      10.2 _is_ a major update with all those features and..*gasp*...Quartz Extreme. Hardware accelerated graphics layer? Hello!?!?! McFly?!?!

      10.0.2 should be a free upgrade for those people brave or stupid enough to have had to put up with 10.0.0 or 10.0.1 and their hideous infancy problems.

      Wrong. Just..wrong. The amount of FUD on this thread is staggering.

      --

      "Electric Relaxation" - ATCQ
      - Bwana
  85. In other news..... by IamTheRealMike · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    Microsoft today demonstrated Visual Studio.NET, ASP.NET, a beta of the new database driven Longhorn and much more.

    Doesn't a demonstration of such kickass tech (especially the database filing system stuff) realised today fro the consumer show just how many streets ahead Microsoft are?

    This is stuff that should exist on the Mac, but doesn't. While Apple focused on gee-whiz features in an attempt to get more upgrades, Microsoft has retained their lead in producing leading edge tools and pushed forward computing - they can only produce better and better products.

    Yay.

    1. Re:In other news..... by Dutchmaan · · Score: 2

      "Doesn't a demonstration of such kickass tech (especially the database filing system stuff) realised today fro the consumer show just how many streets ahead Microsoft are? "

      No.. but a *release* would!

    2. Re:In other news..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Big deal. They're just trying to catch up with AS/400 and Pick.

    3. Re:In other news..... by afantee · · Score: 1

      Oh, man, you are talking rubbish, and I hope you know that.

      First of all, Longhorn won't be released until late 2004, which quite probably means sometime in 2005, knowing MS's track record. And you are comparing it to Apple technology to be released in a few weeks, a month ahead of schedule? What is it with you Windoze idiots?

      With Mac OS X, you get great programming tools like InterfaceBuilder, ProjectBuilder and gcc 3 which allows you to design sleek UI with very little coding and writing programs in standard languages like Java, C / C++, and Objective C / C++, all for FREE. How much do you have to pay for using MS's me-too technology like C# which doesn't work on any other platform, and would you care to enlighten us why it's so leading edge?

    4. Re:In other news..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right, they staged an announcement about the amazing stuff they'd be shipping over the next few years. Apple demonstrated stuff that's shipping either now, or over the next two months.

      Who'd have thought of a database-driven filesystem? (For the clue-challenged, Be was most recent, but you could go all the way back to Multics on that one if you tried). Respinning ASP's to require a C# runtime doesn't sound innovative to me, either.

  86. If I don't want all the features by X-Pirate · · Score: 1

    If I don't want all the features, can I get a stripped-down version for less money? - you know like they want M$ to do?

    1. Re:If I don't want all the features by bbc22405 · · Score: 1
      If I don't want all the features, can I get a stripped-down version for less money? - you know like they want M$ to do?

      If you are talking about the new 17" iMac, then I guess the eMac would be the stripped-down version, for many $100s less.

      If you are talking about MacOS X 10.2 (nee Jaguar), then perhaps Darwin does what you want?

      Or perhaps you were wondering if Apple forces its customers to use a particular Web browser? No.

      Or perhaps you are asking if Apple will force people to sign up for .mac at $100/year? No.

  87. Not happy, at all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm not happy at all. I bought my iMac for $2000 a week ago and I have to pay $129 to get 10.2. What a shame... I "made the switch" and got the shaft. I'm calling right now to send my iMac back.

    1. Re:Not happy, at all by so1omon · · Score: 1

      you're retarded

      --
      i'm the jedidiahmarkfoster your parents warned you about
    2. Re:Not happy, at all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What is that as s bag? Please clarify?

  88. Ipod and jogging by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    20Gb, windoze compatible, basic pda goodness .. but can i go jogging/running with it?

    please tell me i can ditch my sony discman.

    1. Re:Ipod and jogging by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes you can go jogging with it. Its a hard drive player with 20 (or so?) minute skip protection. I take mine with me mountain biking and to the gym. Its nice to see they are including a carrying case finally. Also the earphone remote control is good so you can stash the iPod away on yourself but easily change songs/volume while still on the go.

  89. USB printing under 10.2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    There are a ton of features in 10.2 that Jobs never mentioned, including the massive Finder speedup and graphics acceleration via Quartz Extreme.

    Jaguar offers several major improvements in USB printing. The largest is the ability to do USB printer sharing as you can do under OS 9.x, but there are numerous others (e.g., CUPS, PostScript transparency) as well. Apple has a short listing of some of these new feature on the site. Some of the things you want may be product-specific; I don't know what you need or what hardware you're using, but Apple will also be shipping revised drivers for several printers with OS X 10.2.

    1. Re:USB printing under 10.2 by King+Babar · · Score: 2
      Jaguar offers several major improvements in USB printing. The largest is the ability to do USB printer sharing as you can do under OS 9.x, but there are numerous others (e.g., CUPS, PostScript transparency) as well.

      Excellent. I was actually getting really annoyed that straight-ahead printing stuff didn't get fixed, since it wasn't listed as a headline "feature" even though it was a fix for a show-stopping "lack of feature", as it were. I could have dug a bit deeper into the Apple site and found this out, but the ol' cable modem seemed remarkably slow this morning for some odd reason...

      --

      Babar

  90. Bluetooth/GPRS question by reidconti · · Score: 1

    The article says iSync can sync contacts with GPRS phones. What does GPRS have to do with it? Isn't this pure bluetooth?

    The reason I ask is this -- I am about to buy an Ericsson T39, which DOES have bluetooth and GPRS, but my provider (Cingular) has not been able to get GPRS to work on this specific phone (actually, they don't technically sell the phone for this reason). Will I be able to sync with it, or would I need GPRS support?

    thanks

    - reid

  91. *77* Percent? Huh? by deebaine · · Score: 1

    77 percent of owners of new Macs keep Mac OS X as the primary OS

    Disclaimer: I am knee deep in PERL scripts, so it is possible that my brain isn't working quite properly at the moment.

    1 in 4 Mac users is changing the OS? That's a lot of Yellow Dog Linux. I find this number difficult to believe. What are the others using? Who is buying Macs these days that's changing the OS?

    -db

  92. umm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "I can say that having worked for software companies for the past 5 years, that NO ONE wants to pay that much for a point release. If OS X.2 was really that ladden with new features, it would be OS Y or whatever they'll call the next one."

    heh wasnt Windows XP a bloated point release for 2000?

    1. Re:umm by dubiousmike · · Score: 1

      very true, which is why I wont buy XP. 2000 is M$'s best effort so far. XP was M$'s point release to the OS X interface. ;^)

    2. Re:umm by rworne · · Score: 2, Funny
      True, when I started using Win2k I felt that Microsoft finally got a clue and released the best Windows ever. Enough to get this Windows-hater (I'm an old Team OS/2 member) to actually complement and recommend the OS to others for its speed and reliability. It's still my MS operating system of choice.

      Then XP was released and I realized Win2k was just temporary insanity on Microsoft's part.

      I'm now a happy OS X (and occasional Win2k) user.

      --
      I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
    3. Re:umm by jbolden · · Score: 1

      Since you're onld OS/2 team member...

      I figure by Win2k Microsoft finally released a product that was better than OS/2 3.0. I was shocked by how happy people were with NT 4.0 features that had been part of OS/2 5 years earlier.

      - Jeff (OS/2 user 1.3.1-3.0)

      p.S since this whole thread is about upgrades:

      2.0 $99
      2.1 free upgrade (and this was over 20 floppies)
      3.0 $49 upgrade (CD )

  93. Quartz Extreme by arielb · · Score: 1, Informative

    Funny how nobody here seemed to mention Quartz extreme: http://www.apple.com/macosx/jaguar/quartzextreme.h tml

    --
    ---
    1. Re:Quartz Extreme by andang · · Score: 1

      Quartz Extreme is my most waited feature of Jaguar!
      Hopefully Quartz Extreme will support my ATI Radeon 7000 card not only the built-in ones.

    2. Re:Quartz Extreme by andang · · Score: 1

      From Apple website: "Quartz Extreme functionality is supported by the following video GPUs: NVIDIA GeForce2 MX, GeForce3, GeForce4 MX, or GeForce4 Ti or any AGP-based ATI RADEON GPU."

      How about PCI-based ATI Radeon GPU?

  94. That happens EVERY Macworld by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have tracked the stock for years now... it always happens that way... during the keynote, I saw it going down... it's strange...

    so no, the street hasn't said anything

  95. .Mac is terrible word of mouth PR by Lachrymite · · Score: 1

    I've been using my mac.com email address for awhile now. None of the other iTools features are at all useful to me. I'm not going to pay $100/year for an email address, no matter what the domain is. Now, when I tell my friends who email me at my mac.com address that they'll need to mail me at yahoo or something instead, how is that going to make Apple look? How is this going to help the effort to switch Windows users when I tell my Windows using friends, "Oh, well, you need to email me somewhere different now, I gave up that mac.com email address because Apple wanted me to start paying for it."

    All this is going to do is create a word of mouth backlash that bites Apple in the ass. The least they could do is keep the email free but charge for the full .Mac services.

    1. Re:.Mac is terrible word of mouth PR by flockofseagulls · · Score: 1

      Now, when I tell my friends who email me at my mac.com address that they'll need to mail me at yahoo or something instead, how is that going to make Apple look?

      How does it make you look? Get a real email address. Clue: they aren't free.

  96. Apple Mail and Exchange by Sturm · · Score: 1

    I heard a "rumor" a while back that Apple's Mail client would be Exchange compatible in 10.2. Has anyone heard anything else about this?

    1. Re:Apple Mail and Exchange by gaff2k · · Score: 1

      It's true:

      http://www.apple.com/macosx/jaguar/compatibility .h tml

      How well it works I don't know...

      --
      -gaff2k
  97. Re:*77* Percent? Huh? by odin53 · · Score: 1

    It's called OS 9. Well, reverting back to OS 9. There's no way almost 25% of Mac users use Yellow Dog, but it's very, very likely that 1 in 4 Mac users are scared off by OS X's *nix underpinnings and generally altogether different GUI.

  98. Re:New iMac Designed With Ancient Mathematical Sec by wazzzup · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think I see a trend forming here. The 16:10 "Golden Ratio" iMac screen and the $100 per year "Golden Shower" .Mac services.

  99. Re:*77* Percent? Huh? by saddino · · Score: 1

    The people who are switching are switching to OS 9 as the bootable OS.

  100. Apple reveals new font, ditches Apple Garamond by Dan+Crash · · Score: 5, Informative

    Check out their homepage. The slightly effete but expressive classic Apple Garamond font has been replaced by a plain, rather ugly version of Adobe Myriad Roman. Say it ain't so! But it is.

    They started it with the eMac, but I assumed it was some education-only market differentiator. Apparently not. There's a little more at Mired.

    Personally, I think it's a terrible change. And a stupid one. They'd built a huge amount of brand identity with Apple Garamond, to the point where anything written in it reminded you of Apple. The new font has no personality at all. Is that what they were going for?

    P.S. The Myriad Roman link is a Google cache of a page that 404's now.

    --
    He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.
    1. Re:Apple reveals new font, ditches Apple Garamond by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That left { in the Myriad Roman doesn't match the } correctly, it is less curvy.

    2. Re:Apple reveals new font, ditches Apple Garamond by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe not. Two of the apps introduced today, iTunes 3 and Backup, have the app name displayed (very large) in Apple Garamond or something very similar.

      Although Apple Garamond is perhaps the best known of the typefaces Apple uses, it's not the only one. The font they use on their keyboards is very recognizable, too... I'll bet that if someone handed you just the 'A' keycap from a Mac, you'd know instantly what brand of computer it came from.

      I'm a big fan of Apple Garamond too. It's a great looking typeface, and I'd be sorry to see it go the way of the 7-colored Apple logo. But maybe it's time for a change to go along with the Switch campaign and the new world of MacOS X 10.2. (Although, I'll also note that big fur-covered X that's currently on display at www.apple.com is also in Apple Garamond. I'll bet Apple keeps the X that represents MacOS X in Garamond... it's got so much more character than the X in Myriad Roman.)

    3. Re:Apple reveals new font, ditches Apple Garamond by FunkyChild · · Score: 2

      Though interestingly, the apple store (www.apple.com/store) is still using Garamond for almost everything. Perhaps they just haven't gotten around to changing it yet.

  101. Re:*77* Percent? Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1 in 4 users is switching back to OS 9.

  102. The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by teamhasnoi · · Score: 2
    If I don't need to see that damn thing again like Apple says, I will gladly pay up. OS X is swell, although Classic blows. Adobe Ragemaker in Classic always crashes.

    The finder needs more features that made OS 9 and under great. Now with OS X, I can't color code files, I can't change the icon as easily, I can't sort by date or anything other than name when I'm saving files.

    The finder also won't tell you if the file you are replacing is newer than the one you are replacing it with. You can't answer 'yes to all' or 'no to all' either. Grrrrr. Sure there are free/share/bloat-ware products to do all these things, but why am I forced to resort to these when the 'old' os had them built in?

    BTW Apple: If you are reading this - your heads on a stake for removing the abillity to print to a localtalk printer. Yeah, I'm going to get my work to shell for a new laser printer. Nope, boot to OS 9. I think your punishment should be this: Every time you want to update Apple.com, you must quit OS X, boot to OS 9, make the change, quit OS 9, boot to OS X, check the results. Repeat 'til you kill yourselves.

    I know that I can get an adapter to fix this, but damnit, what happened to 'Works out of the Box' ?

    I hate to love Apple, I love to hate M$.

    Back to work, Slashders!

    1. Re:The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by foo12 · · Score: 1

      Not to troll, but why are you using PageMaker? It's basically dead anyway, unsupported in lieu of InDesign (which, iirc, you can cross-upgrade to from a PageMaker license for less than purchase price) and really never worked well in OS 9. It seems a bit unfair to bitch at Apple for what is essentially an Adobe problem.

    2. Re:The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by andfarm · · Score: 1

      Laser printers are *cheap*. I got one recently for about $100 USD.

      So stop complaining. Localtalk was dead years ago.

      --

      TANSTAAFI: There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free iPod.

    3. Re:The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by teamhasnoi · · Score: 2
      Agreed on the Adobe problem; they have been 'upgrading' Pagemaker with templates and clipart which are of no use to me, and ignoring problems concerning basic usabillity, and a nasty bug that corrupts your pages (type a delete in a blank text box = uh no.)

      I have to use Pagemaker, because of office politics and the fact that the other 'Mac' in the office is an old, slow UMAX clone and won't run OS X. (I did manage to get OS 9 going on it - what an improvement! Faster and more stable than 8.x And unsupported :)

      The other 'Mac' is my bosses and she won't/can't learn a new program - sort of the "if it aint broke for me, don't fix it for you" syndrome.

      Unfortunately the budget doen't allow for a new Mac, a Localtalk adapter, more memory for the UMAX or anything that would be of use to me.

      I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation, but being the only one who has to deal with these issues and relating them to computer illiterate bosses and co-workers is similar to beating your head with a rotten fish. It kind of hurts, but you really hope someone will notice the smell and take it away.

    4. Re:The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by teamhasnoi · · Score: 2
      A $100, 10 MB Ram, networking Postscript laser printer? So I live in the twilight zone now?

      The point I am making is: I have a perfectly good Oki sitting here, and can't use it, because Apple decided to not include SOFTWARE support for it. Not hardware; I have the harware nessasary, and use it when I am forever booting into OS 9.

      Software. Jeez. I'd be happy if it was available and unsupported, but it isn't even an option. Ironically, BSD supports localtalk; Apple the inventor doesn't.

      I don't mourn the loss of the floppy drive. I'm stuck with some 10 cent floppies. Localtalk removal to drive hardware sales makes me jump though hoops to use this printer, because of Apple's innovative move to a new OS. "We remove functionallity so you don't have to!"

      I'm glad to hear you got a good deal, but the whole thing leaves a bad taste.

    5. Re:The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, you are a stupid troll.
      Hrm.. Why not just build the FreeBSD localtalk software on OSX, oh wait, your too busy trolling to do that...

    6. Re:The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by teamhasnoi · · Score: 2

      Do you even know what I am talking about? You sound like someone who just likes to post contrary things. Oh well, have fun with your little pastime.

    7. Re:The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by foo12 · · Score: 1

      Acutally in this instance you might be better off using the old UMAX clone as a dedicated PageMaker box. Drop Mac OS 8.6 or 9.1 on it; that should be more than enough for PageMaker (even if it is an older box, it's PageMaker for christ's sake). It'd be less than a headache of running it in Classic or constantly rebooting into Mac OS 9. And really, budget for an InDesign license upgrade. Argue on the grounds that it will save you at least 15 minutes on every hour you used to spend in PageMaker.

    8. Re:The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by foo12 · · Score: 1

      a thought: you could install Mac OS 8.6 on that old UMAX box you mentioned and use it as a dedicated print server. I turned an old PowerMac 8600/300 into a print server to handle an old LaserWriter Select

    9. Re:The Spinning Beach Ball of OS X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Stick your fist in Steve Jobs's ass.

      Twist it. Twist it good.

      Bitch slap that Jobs. He is a bitch she woman.

      Break his bitty faggot glasses in half.

      Stick them up his rectum.

      Bitch slap that woman named Jobs.

      Make him bark like a dog. Bitch.

  103. Future Security updates for 10.1? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now that 10.2 is going to hit the shelves (and I like what I see very much) I have to ask this question: What happens to the Darwin layer of 10.1?

    You see, we OS X users had it easy - if there was a security hole, we'd hit Software Update every 20 mins for the next 5 days until Apple posts their fix, download it, and get back to our lives. But in a few months, what will happen when new holes are uncovered? Apple will, of course post bug fixes w/in a few days, and that's fine, but I wasn't entirely asleep at the switch the last time they issued a security update that required 10.1.3 to be installed first. The possibility will exist that people who do not need to upgrade to 10.2 will nonetheless be left out in the cold because a unix level [security] update will require a version of the OS they don't have - GCC 3 support notwithstanding.

    Wow, am I ever close to being branded a troll! But wait: I have something more to say. I don't think that it's in Apple's best interest to continue issuing updates that support the 10.1 crowd who don't want to update. And that's fine. What I'd like to see is someone on the Darwin team come up with a software update tool that 10.1 users can use that will update just the Darwin level. This is the kind of tool that *has* to be free - but it's certainly not in Apple's best interest to produce it if it can't increase shareholder value.

    I am even motivated to write such a tool myself - but I lack the needed knowledge of what to watch out for if someone wants to install or patch the Darwin level.

    Perhaps there is such a tool out there... anyone have something to contribute to this?

  104. Upgrade Pricing by yuktar · · Score: 1

    from apple's jaguar ugrade page:

    "Customers who purchase a qualifying new Macintosh computer on or after July 17, 2002, that does not have Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar" included can upgrade to Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar" for US$19.95."

    great, so that means that just because i bought my powerbook a month ago instead of today, i've got to either pay 130 bucks or "borrow" it from somewhere else? they really should push that cutoff date back a few months.

  105. Re:those mac commercials almost have me hypnotized by saintlupus · · Score: 1

    Anyone know a good^H^H^H^Hcheap place to buy a 1-2 year old used Mac?

    I bought an older iMac from www.macofalltrades.com a couple of years ago. No complaints here - the shipping was fast and I'm still using it as my primary machine.

    --saint

  106. hillarious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    when is steve ever gonna learn he cant take over the world with his "beautiful OS X"?

    "better windows integration". i smurked when i read that. its hillarious seeing how hard the developers are trying to make the Apple world as friendly as possible with the PC world. On the apple.com/switch i saw somewhere it said "OS X is so beautiful"...well guess what, BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP! i can bash the mac from here to hell but i have no time so i must stop.

  107. ipod warranty improved 4x by morcheeba · · Score: 3, Informative

    The ipod warranty has been improved to one year, up from its much criticized 90 day warranty. The ipod service page doesn't reflect this new warranty yet... out-of-warranty repairs cost an amazing $256.

    Yesterday I read an article in a major newspaper (NYT, WSJ, or washington post - sorry, couldn't find link) describing how many high tech things (including the ipod) didn't come with suitable warranties -- for example, dell just changed from a 3 year to 1 year warranty.

  108. just bought an ipod! by Coolfish · · Score: 2

    was waiting for this day :)

  109. x86 ever? by fatwreckfan · · Score: 0, Troll

    Come on Apple...make OS/X for x86 already! For the non-computer-savy user, who would have no chance, it would be a great replacement to Windows.

    1. Re:x86 ever? by Peyna · · Score: 2

      They want you to buy their hardware too though. If you can get OS/X on an x86, why would you buy mac hardware? If they can get you to switch to their hardware solely for the OS, then they've got a good deal going.

      --
      What?
  110. Wait a minute... by BlackMesaResearchFac · · Score: 0

    You're telling us Microsoft isn't the king of innovation?!? Incredulous!

    --
    -- Scientist: You aren't going to leave me here, are you? Boagh! Thump...
  111. great updates... by simpl3x · · Score: 1

    while some people would really like to wait several years for service pack 3, or manually deal with recompiling, others have jobs that only involve computers. while i like to play with the toys, and got mach running on my powermac 6100 four or five years ago, linux is not what i need. the toys are in there, and i loaded more. i am willing to pay a subscription for basically a managed system, particularly one that does not lock me into their world domination plans. apple's updates have been great, and extremely regular in coming. last week their was a download bug, it was fixed yesterday. try that with microsoft. i also replace my computers every two years, so i would generally only have to pay for a year. not too bad when a tibook costs 2500+.

    1. Re:great updates... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      week their was a download bug, it was fixed yesterday. try that with microsoft.

      That's right. Microsoft would have fixed it a year ago but nobody would have bothered downloading it. Maybe Microsoft should start charging for Service Packs. Maybe then people would actually apply the patches that have been around for years and we can finally get away from these damn outlook viruses.

    2. Re:great updates... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple also only has to work on a single type of platform that they developed themselves. Microsoft's QA cycle is a hell of a lot longer because there are so many different combinations of test cases that they have to do ... So let's be a little more fair to them here. But I agree with your other points :)

  112. Opps....that didn't make any sense by fatwreckfan · · Score: 1

    Should have been "who would have no chance with linux".

  113. Re:Duh. (investors say bah!) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Buy on rumor, sell on news.

  114. MacWorld 2002 New York Report by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    • Mac OS X:
    • 2.5 million users today. Most new Mac users don't know fuck-all about the difference between Mac OS 9 and Mac OS 10, nor do they understand the concept of "dual-booting" or the Startup Disk control panel. Apple has suckered many a Mac user into their "2.5 million" demographic tally.

    • 3500 apps for Mac OS X:
    • Jobs fails to mention that most of them are supplied by Apple itself in one of the various "i" apps.

    • RealOne Player for OS X:
    • Does anyone care? I don't. It should be called RealSpammer since it dumps so much shit that has nothing to do with media playback on your hard disk.

    • >Mac OS X Jaguar:
    • Announced today, available August 24. Phil Schiller takes the stage to demonstrate cycling desktop pictures. Hold the show, can I pre-order it now? Jesus. Oh, yeah, ugliest packaging ever for an OS.

    • >QuickTime 6.0:
    • Released Monday, more than 1 million users already exposed to the new and imporved QuickTime 6 nag-box before using the neat new MPEG4 features. Congrats, Apple.

    • Sherlock 3:
    • Even uglier interface than Sherlock 2, "totally rewritten" (i.e. bought from another company and rebranded). I never use Sherlock, don't care about a this new "revision." *snore*

    • Rendezvous:
    • "No one owns it." Great. Apple implements a new technology first again. Let's walk around and see who we can connect to. Watch for Apple iDate, a blind dating package, based on this technology. I called it here first.

    • Mail.app:
    • New version demonstrated, included in Mac OS X Jaguar. Uh, no shit. Not only have we known about this for months, but is it all that prophetic to think the mail client would be updated in the nex major OS revision?

    • Address Book:
    • Same as above. Filler at best. Jobs likes to hear himself talk.

    • iChat:
    • The newsest (un)productivity app from Apple. Now Mac users can chat with their friends all day at work from an OS-integrated app. IT departments and managers beware. Apple is trying to destroy your profits!

    • iTools:
    • Bait and switch! Goodbye iTools, our free free, and say hello to the much more expensive .mac. "These are trying economic times." No wonder Apple is excited about the evolution of the PC. They get to charge for shit formerly supplied for free. Damn the economy, eh, Steve?

    • iCal
    • :
    • Calendars for .mac, iPod, and Palm users. Hmm. Good idea. Available for the new .mac in September (re: fork over the dollars for it).

    • iTunes 3:
    • Hey hey hey! Awright! Finally some good shit from Apple. New features like consistent volume playback (so I won't be jolted awake when it finishes playing piano sonatas and goes into Nine Inch Nails), playlist sharing support (via Rendezvous and Audible.com), and iPod r3 support. New icon too! Can't wait til the servers aren't chundering forbidden messages at me so I can download it.

    • iPod news:
    • New iPod revision 2 announced today with a tweaked form factor in 10 and 20 gigabyte sizes; new menus; iTunes 3 integration. Prices are $500/$400/$300 for the 20/10/5 gig sizes, respectively. Oh yeah, support for Windows sometime. I don't remember when, nor do I care. How long before the iPod outdoes the iBook in terms of storage? At this rate, about a year.
    • iSync:
    • Uses XML to back up your Mac, iPod, iCal date, or Palm via the .mac service. Sounds neat, wonder where the spec for this SyncML markup is, costs lots of dough. Yet another piece due at MacWorld NY 2002 II (September).

    • iMac:
    • 17" screens, baby. Everyone scooped this one, even MOSR (thanks to pilfering from SpyMac and ThinkSecret). The first 17" iMac ever, unless you count that abberational eMac thing.

  115. Wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You see that little peace of paper that says discount for next OS update... Use that, hmm.. Wow.. That was easy...

  116. Zero configuration network (Rendez-vous) specs by snowtigger · · Score: 1

    As Steve mentioned, "Rendez-vous" (zero configuration network) has been proposed as a IETF standard.

    Here are some links from their website:

    Zero Configuration Networking (zeroconf)
    Zeroconf IP Host Requirements
    Dynamic Configuration of IPv4 Link-Local addresses

    and a March 2001 Proceedings

  117. Re:New iMac Designed With Ancient Mathematical Sec by llamalicious · · Score: 1

    ...and the $129 "Golden Goose Egg" OS Upgrade.

  118. Re:New iMac Designed With Ancient Mathematical Sec by Shamashmuddamiq · · Score: 1

    oooo... you're right, and it's the closest I've seen to the ratio 161:100!!!!! Holy shlamola!!!

    --
    ...just my 2 gil.
  119. Rendezvous by jmu1 · · Score: 2

    Now... if Linux got this... and the desktop folks got into this... We'd be unstopable. I really liked the printer demonstration. Just plug that puppy onto the network and viola! It's installed and configured. File sharing, etc would be a breeze. Oh, and it's an 'open' standard with IETF.

  120. PDF support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I haven't played with MacOS X yet, but I heard a lot about printing problems.

    In their page Apple says Jaguar have "builtin support for PDF", it seems to me they are trying to use (force?) PDF as their "PostScript", does anyone have more info?

  121. HDTV Tip: by clem.dickey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Take a black felt-tip marker and carefully ink out the lower 90 pixels of you 17" iMac monitor. This will give you a 16:9 ratio, which matches HDTV!

    1. Re:HDTV Tip: by Dredd13 · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I bet that's intentional.

      Gives them 90 pixels for a title bar, without it interfering with the display area of the HDTV image.

    2. Re:HDTV Tip: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know what physical dimensions this new screen has but I would bet that they might have wanted to use the same LCD panel as for the titanium powerbook (which features a 1400*8xx resolutions), maybe some pixels are hidden in the titanium for integration purposes and they could display all of them in this design..
      And maybe I am all wrong..

    3. Re:HDTV Tip: by tibbetts · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Gives them 90 pixels for a title bar, without it interfering with the display area of the HDTV image.

      Title bar? Try a banner ad--89 or 90 pixels is the standard height of one. Just look at the top of your page.

      You heard it here first.

      --
      :wq
    4. Re:HDTV Tip: by jimmcq · · Score: 2


      Actually they would need 1920x1080 to display HDTV in its full glory.

    5. Re:HDTV Tip: by Refrag · · Score: 2

      It's intentionally taller than 16:9. It's so that people running Final Cut Pro on it have room for their toolbars in addition to a 16:9 image.

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
    6. Re:HDTV Tip: by Refrag · · Score: 2

      Man, you're stupid. It's for Final Cut Pro's toolbar. Just like their other widescreen monitors.

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
    7. Re:HDTV Tip: by Refrag · · Score: 2

      This is 17". The PowerBook is 15.2".

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
    8. Re:HDTV Tip: by alangmead · · Score: 1
      The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) standard banners are 468x60. Tile ads have a 120x90 format, but they tend to be distributed vertically down the page.

      If Apple was building hardware specifically to support interactive advertising, (which sounds unlikely to me.) they aren't using a standard banner format.

      Besides, everyone knows that banner ads don't work.

  122. Stob Jobs tax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Buy Apple harware and run NetBSD code!

  123. I love Apple's RAM prices by strictnein · · Score: 2

    Lets see... this $2000 computer comes with 256MB of RAM. What a great deal.

    Ok, let's upgrade.

    How much for another $128mb? Oh... only $75. Strange, I swore you could buy that much in pretty much any store for around $15-20.

    Hmmm... how much for another $256? Oh... only $150. Again, I'm pretty sure that I saw that in a store for $60 yesterday (and that was before a $20 mail in rebate)

    Ok... how much for a 512MB DIMM. Oh, only $250 more. Again, $119.99 in the store.

    And for 1 GIG... 2 512 DIMMS. That's an additional $550. Strange, that would be less than $250 in any store around.

    Oh... there must be a labor charge to install that RAM. Hmm... takes about 2 minutes max to put it in, so... I guess they're charging $9000/hour to install RAM. Sweet deal!

    1. Re:I love Apple's RAM prices by White+Roses · · Score: 2
      Oh... there must be a labor charge to install that RAM. Hmm... takes about 2 minutes max to put it in, so...

      Ever try putting 2 DIMMs in one of the G4 iMacs? Way more than 2 minutes.

      Yes, their prices are disproportionate, and yes, you can get the memory elsewhere. In fact, paying Apple for anything other than putting a 512MB chip in the internal slot is a waste. OTOH, Apple's memory is rigorously tested and generally has a lower failure rate. Plus, if Apple's memory furgles up Apple's system, you have some recourse.

      So, like anything else, pays your money and takes your chances.

      --
      Do not touch -Willie
    2. Re:I love Apple's RAM prices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And you are probably safe that Apple won't send down a "software update" to destroy it, like they've done before.

    3. Re:I love Apple's RAM prices by Bwana · · Score: 1

      *Bzzt* Try again.

      http://dealmac.com/articles/38103.html

      How much for another $128mb? Oh... only $75. Strange, I swore you could buy that much in pretty much any store for around $15-20.

      Wow.
      128MB - $28 iMac

      Hmmm... how much for another $256? Oh... only $150. Again, I'm pretty sure that I saw that in a store for $60 yesterday (and that was before a $20 mail in rebate)

      256MB - $44 iMac

      Ok... how much for a 512MB DIMM. Oh, only $250 more. Again, $119.99 in the store.

      512MB - $100 iMac

      HTH. :)

      --

      "Electric Relaxation" - ATCQ
      - Bwana
    4. Re:I love Apple's RAM prices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously you have never bought RAM from a major PC manufacturer. They all jack it up ridiculously.

    5. Re:I love Apple's RAM prices by batobin · · Score: 2

      You're not telling the Slashdot crowd anything new. EVERYONE knows that Apple RAM is expensive. You didn't?

      I've never bought more than the bare amount of RAM on an Apple system. I wish i could buy my computer without RAM. But don't come on here acting like you've discovered something new. WE KNOW ALREADY.

      Three words for you. Crucial.com

  124. MHZ VooDoo by N8F8 · · Score: 2

    Personally I'm glad to see Apple seems to have broken the MHZ VooDoo madness. With a CPU at 800MHZ and the new Intel processors at 2200+ MHZ it would have been a big issue in the past. Either Apple has done a good job of sidestepping the issue, people are happy with current speeds or a little of both. Maybe a little more development will be put into other areas that have a bigger impact on user experience and system performance.

    --
    "God fights on the side with the best artillery." - Napoleon, Marshal of France - speaking truth to power
    1. Re:MHZ VooDoo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not that everyone stopped caring about performance, it's that everyone still can't believe $100 for some web services and $130 for an OS update.

    2. Re:MHZ VooDoo by foniksonik · · Score: 2

      People with Macs are going to be even hapier with their speeds with the addition of the Quartz Extreme GPU integration.

      if i understand it correctly QE will essentially add the GPU's processing power to the CPU for all graphics/video rendering tasks. So add 200 - 300 mhz of processing power to the minimum 800 mhz of a new mac and you're definitely seeing some good numbers.

      This won't be helping your seti numbers much but for user interactive applications you should see great performance.

      --
      A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
  125. From Apple to you. by supabeast! · · Score: 2

    Disclaimer: I am a very bitter OSX/ibook user.Be warned.

    Dear Apple Customer,

    Thank you for spending obscene amounts of money to purchase our hardware over comparably priced X86 PCs. Also, we thank you for giving us more money for OS X, which up untill now has really just been one of the largest beta tests in the history of computing. Thanks to your efforts and complaints, we have been able to fix numerous horrible bugs, add features that comparable free software had ten years ago, and finally figure out why the hell Quartz is so slow.

    We are now ready to release our latest OS X service pack^H^H^H update for prices ranging from $19.95 to $129.95. That's right, now you can pay for the kind of updates that even the bastards at Microsoft give away for free! If you ever wondered why we brought back Steve Jobs, now you know just how good he is at bringing in new revenue!

    Thank you again, dear customer, for continuing to flush your money away in the desparate search for a computer more stable than Windows without all the hassles of Linux! Just a few more years and a few more thousand dollars each, and the revolution will be in full swing!

    Best regards,

    Apple Computers

    1. Re:From Apple to you. by daviddennis · · Score: 2

      Microsoft charged in the $100 range for the Windows98 upgrade from Windows95, and Windows98 was pretty much a bugfix release that added Internet Explorer as a central component.

      Microsoft charged $99.99 to upgrade Windows XP from Windows 2000 or 98. If my memory serves, if you had Windows95 or earlier, you'd have to buy it afresh, for $200-odd.

      Apple charged $99.95 to upgrade from MacOS 8 to MacOS 9. I'd consider that a far less important upgrade than this.

      Programmers need to be paid somehow. I think Apple has been pretty generous with the free/very low cost upgrades. Granted, I wish there was, say, a $70-80 upgrade option for previous purchasers. But I'm not going to lose any sleep over the $129.

      D

    2. Re:From Apple to you. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I also bought my G4 Powerbook when "switching" just a couple of weeks ago... We should be given at least some sort of "upgrade" pricing. The difference here is that Windows users do know in advance when a major OS release change is coming out and can plan their OS purchases accordingly. Had I known that Apple would ding me for another $130 for 10.2, I might have waited a couple of weeks to buy my Powerbook and save that much money (not to mention get a $100 rebate on Office v.x which just becamse available again). But then, perhaps that was part of the strategy to avoid people like me waiting... Next time they're on the eve of a 10.3 or later release, watch their sales go *way* down even further after this experience...

    3. Re:From Apple to you. by dbirchall · · Score: 2
      Microsoft also charged (surprise, surprise) $19.95 to upgrade from Windows 98 to.... Windows 98 SE! And if that wasn't a bugfix release, what was?

    4. Re:From Apple to you. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The difference here is that Windows users do know in advance when a major OS release change is coming out and can plan their OS purchases accordingly.

      HEL-LO!?!?!? Have you been living in a cave on Mars for the last few months? It's been pretty common knowledge that a major upgrade to OS X was imminent and cruising for a late summer release-- all that was missing was the exact ship date. 10.2 has gotten writeups on C|Net, ZDNet, and it was announced by Apple and has been detailed on their website since, what, January?

      What kind of fucking bonehead buys new hardware just before a MacWorld Expo? Unless your company paid for your PowerBook and you had an end-of-fiscal year stash of cash that HAD to be blown out before MWNY, your actions can only be chalked up to stupidity.

  126. iCal and iSync Product Page by The+Usiller · · Score: 1

    Just in case you guys missed it, check out these pages. http://www.apple.com/ical/ http://www.apple.com/isync/

  127. printing in OS X by johnpaul191 · · Score: 2

    i had to buy a new printer..... my Epson 1160 is long not supported by epson... now that i have a 1280 it works really well under OS X. i was pissed i had to upgrade (they are both oversized inkjets that cost $400+) but i was able to seel the old on on ebay for literally $1 less than the new one (i do not know).
    as for HP, i do not know what to say. i've been using Apple computers for a long time, i dealt with the mess of using HP printers in the 90's and since then i just don't feel comfortable buying their stuff.

  128. Steve announcing .mac by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 1

    I can imagine the scene at the key note: stev jobs announces the new .mac initiative, and the goes to show the newly designed site. He types the url and wait, and waits, and then gets the message 'site overloaded'. Loosing his temper - 'Slashdotted already!! Couldn't those guys have waited!?'

    --
    Jumpstart the tartan drive.
  129. GCC 3 - nothing to see here, move along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Is this really the case? It was my understanding that Linux distributions were holding back from a complete transition owing to 3.1 still being a bit buggy, or compiling kernels incorrectly.

    GCC 3.1 and 2.95.2 have been living side by side for quite a while now on Mac OS X; iirc since late April. You even get a flick-switch turnover between them using the "gcc_select" command.
    1. Re:GCC 3 - nothing to see here, move along by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      GCC 3.1 and 2.95.2 have been living side by side for quite a while now on Mac OS X; iirc since late April. You even get a flick-switch turnover between them using the "gcc_select" command.
      3.1 was released by GNU on May 15th. Unless they were providing beta, it was no earlier than that.
  130. OS X Remote Desktop access alternatives by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    There are two primary options for remote access to your Mac's Aqua desktop:

    Apple Remote Desktop ($300/10 licenses) -- You obviously know about this one. It's really more intended for shared-screen teaching and remote administration than extended interaction, but it does work. The pricing is a bit steep for two connections, but the license is good for ten systems. It is also dog slow over anything besides a LAN.

    Timbuktu ($180/2 licenses) - This is the long-time cross-platform remote desktop champ. It lets you do anything you would want on the remote machine and is extremely quick and easy to use. The pricing keeps creeping up, but for remote access to the OS X desktop, there really is nothing better.

    Obviously, there are other options out there (e.g., X11, VNC). They won't give you access to the full Mac desktop, but they may suffice for your actual needs, and they're certainly a lot cheaper.

  131. Money, money, money! by dowobeha · · Score: 1

    Gee, I wonder if this had anything to do with all the price-hikes for new services in the keynote....

    --
    I am concerned about any program, any piece of hardware, any treaty, any law that treats me as a consumer, not a citizen
    1. Re:Money, money, money! by blindauer · · Score: 1

      Maybe, but it sure beats losing money, or cutting staff. Which is what most of the rest of the PC makers are doing.

      --
      --Bradley
    2. Re:Money, money, money! by dowobeha · · Score: 1

      True, true...

      Still, I really have to wonder how many people will actually pay the $99/year for the .mac service.

      To be honest, though, with all the new features in the new version of the OS, I really can't blame them for charging for it. Not sure I'll pay, but still...

      --
      I am concerned about any program, any piece of hardware, any treaty, any law that treats me as a consumer, not a citizen
    3. Re:Money, money, money! by blindauer · · Score: 1

      Still, I really have to wonder how many people will actually pay the $99/year for the .mac service.

      Me, too. I won't be paying. I never really used the e-mail or iDisk space anyway. Adding backup and virus stuff doesn't motivate me any, either. I hear they're planning on adding more services later. Maybe at some point it'll be worth it...

      To be honest, though, with all the new features in the new version of the OS, I really can't blame them for charging for it. Not sure I'll pay, but still...

      The OS is another deal entirely. I'll pay the $129 for the upgrade, gladly. Listen, I use this damned machine 10-12 hours per day. Any improvement is worth the cost, IMO.

      --
      --Bradley
  132. This is silly by daviddennis · · Score: 2, Flamebait

    I have a nearly two year old PowerMac that runs MacOS X only about a third slower than the current top-end model. That's not bad at all.

    In reality, it's Windows XP that has to jump through this hoop - our IT guy just quit, and his 1ghz Athelon XP system is distinctly sluggish. XP's published specifications include system requirements that exclude any system more than a year and a half old at the time.

    D

    1. Re:This is silly by afidel · · Score: 1

      I run XP on an old IBM TP 600, it has a P2-300 and 256MB of ram, it runs flawlessly. With the XP themes crap turned off it offers near instantaneous response to just about anything I do. The only problem I have is trying to run games on it, but that's what the 1.2Ghz Athlon with GF3 is for.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    2. Re:This is silly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "In reality, it's Windows XP that has to jump through this hoop - our IT guy just quit, and his 1ghz Athelon XP system is distinctly sluggish. XP's published specifications include system requirements that exclude any system more than a year and a half old at the time."

      This is why you are not taking his position.

  133. Tivo-like arguments by ayeco · · Score: 1

    This sounds a bit like Tivo ads argument. Some Tivo fans freaked when the movie trailers started showing up on Tivo. The Zealots loved it and thought it was good for Tivo to finally try to make some money.

    The same thing is happening here. The real deal mac zealots have no problem with the new prices. While others aren't happy with the itools costs and os x upgrade price.

    Nothing new under the sun.

  134. What's Basic Value? by daviddennis · · Score: 2

    Digital photography, which works better on a Mac than anywhere, is far cheaper than conventional photography. In fact, taking pictures is basically free, which is a big step up from film photography's $10-odd per 36 exposures.

    Most people obsessed with value are also obsessed with tradition, and therefore love family photos. Imagine, then, being able to take all the family pictures you want at no extra cost per photo, loading them on to your computer, printing them out and emailing them to your friends.

    And imagine there is a computer that comes with special free software that makes cataloguing them dead easy, so you'll never lose that great picture of your baby laughing or your 11 year old riding the skateboard.

    That computer is a Mac.

    I'd call that basic value, wouldn't you?

    D

    1. Re:What's Basic Value? by afidel · · Score: 1

      Printing them out is where your free argument stops. In fact with good paper, ink consumption and the cost of the printer amatorized over the number of prints made it costs slightly more per print to go digital, but you make up for it because you only print the photos you want, aka the especially good ones. This frees you up to take as many shots as you want without worrying about whether the shot is perfect, it doesn't matter because all you do is hit delete if it turns out badly, it costs only a few electrons =) Btw, digital photography on an XP machine is at exactly the same level as on the mac, at least with my Canon Powershot S20 and S520 printer, I have indexing software, photo touch up software, easy catagorizing etc.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    2. Re:What's Basic Value? by Eccles · · Score: 1

      Digital photography, which works better on a Mac than anywhere, is far cheaper than conventional photography.

      I plug my Canon A40 into my Windows 98 machine. Software automagically pops up, asking if I want to download the pics, and I click for it to do so. A little while later they're on the hard drive, sorted in folders based on the day the pic was taken, and a slide show commences. What does the Mac do, actually physically plug in the camera for me? 'Cause I can't see it being that much easier.

      --
      Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
    3. Re:What's Basic Value? by rjung2k · · Score: 1

      I've got a library with 2,000 pictures in it. I need a good picture for a Mother's Day card for my wife. Let's look for all the pictures with my wife and my kid in 'em.

      Click on "Wife" tag. Click on "Son" tag.

      Okay, that's about fifty of them. The thumbnails are a little small, let's scale 'em up a tad.

      Drag dynamic thumbnail slider

      Ah, that one, from the beach! Perfect.

      Total time: 48 seconds

  135. hahhahahaha 10.2 is only $70 for me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    people that are students of universities can get jaguar for only 70 bucks. suckas

  136. So what other unix goodies do they have? by jc42 · · Score: 1, Troll

    One thing that keeps putting me off from seriously thinking about OS-X is that, wandering around Apple's web site, I see lots of iCandy touting all these entertaining apps, but I don't see much mention of lots of things that, as a linux/unix programmer, I'm accustomed to having.

    So, do they just use gcc, or does it come with the box? I can't tell. Do they include perl, tcl/tk, and python? I'd feel crippled without all of these. Do they include xterm, or do I have to use their clumsy "user friendly" terminal emulator?

    Perhaps more to the point; is there some place at apple.com that I can go to find answers to this sort of question? Asking on /. is fun and probably even entertaining, but it's not an efficient way to get answers to such questions.

    In the past, I've generally avoided Macs, because, well, I'm a programmer. A computer is something that I can program. Macs traditionally aren't computers; they are appliances for non-programmers.

    Macs have not only lacked tools for programmers, but they've charged you a lot to get a development package. (And the results only run on a Mac.) Linux comes with lots of fancy - and portable - programming tools, so a programmer can jump right in and be productive without putting out big bucks for a "development" package.

    So where can I read a list of the normal unix things that I'll find on OS-X?

    --
    Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
    1. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you need to install the developer tools, which comes as a separate cd. You can get the developer tools as a free download by joining (at the free level) the apple developer connection, or pay 19.95 for the cd.

      http://developer.apple.com/membership/index.html

    2. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by mojorisin67_71 · · Score: 1

      The short answer is yes, they have most of the unix goodies.
      I had the same question before I bought my PowerBook. I walked into a Apple Store and twiddled around in the Terminal window to check if my unix goodies are there.
      Perl, tcsh etc.. is standard. gcc is part of developer CD (free download)

      The link has some of the answers you are looking for. Though I would recommend walking into a Apple store

    3. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, it's all there under Mac OS X/Developer on the web site.

      I think their Developer tools are the best on any platform, period. And any Unix apps that aren't installed by default (most are), you can install just like you would on any Unix system.

    4. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by ntk · · Score: 3, Informative

      I haven't looked for a complete list of what you get on a normal install, but you can safely assume a fairly vanilla BSD kit, including development tools: emacs, perl, gcc, etc. It's all free with MacOS X, as it should be. The supplied versions aren't always the most up-to-date, but that's what fink is for.

      Also, the Mac OS development environment (which includes updates to NeXTStep's really-quite-impressive development environment, Interface Maker and Project Builder, full API docs etc) is a free download. I believe it's included on the harddrive (as an installable package) on new machines.

      Your best bet is to check developer.apple.com. Signing up as a developer is free, although you have to pay $700+ to get stuff like advance betas of the OS, WWDC proceedings on DVD.

    5. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you'd have had a quick poke around the apple site you would have seen that OSX comes with Project Builder (On the Developer CD that comes with it) and a whole host of other utilities.

      There are also all the python etc etc packages available for download straight from the apple site.

      And if you get fed up with Aqua, you can always get Fink ( http://fink.sourceforge.net ) which has every unix app under the sun, including X-Windows.

    6. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "In the past, I've generally avoided Macs, because, well, I'm a programmer. A computer is something that I can program. Macs traditionally aren't computers; they are appliances for non-programmers."

      So all of these years that I thought I was programming in JAVA, C and C++ and all of these years that I've had some sort of Linux on my Mac (MKLinux, LinuxPPC, Yellow Dog) you're telling me that they didn't really exist and I've been imagining it all on my applicance for non-programmers?

      Let me tell you what's really ridiculous: As easy as it is to get information about a Mac, here we have a self-professed Linux programmer spewing typical inaccurate Mac FUD. What is even more ridiculous is that this self-professed Linux programmer can't even RTFM - even when these answers are a mere Google or apple.com click away.

      Such unjustifiable ignorance!

    7. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Things will change with Jaguar(10.2), so I've broken this up:

      10.1
      ----
      - Perl 5.6.0 is included in the base install, with a fairly minimal library set. Perl is at /usr/bin/ leaving you free to build a later Perl if you want. Perl 5.6.1 is buildable on 10.1 and can be installed to /usr/local/ without problems. Some config muckery is required to build 5.6.1, notes are available on various websites. Perl 5.8.0rc3 builds out of the box on 10.1.

      - Niether Python nor Tcl/Tk are included with 10.1 although both are available from community sites in both source and installer formats.

      - GCC is not included in the 10.1 base install, but instead in the "Developer Tools" installation. If you buy a new machine you won't get the Dev Tools in the box, but you can register with Apple as a developer (for free, the basic developer membership) and download an ISO of the CD for free. The dev tools also include ProjectBuilder and InterfaceBuilder (showing their NeXT inheritance).

      - Their "clumsy" Terminal emulator is the old NeXT terminal, and is about as xterm compatible as I need (and far better than many terminals I've tried over the years). I conclude that you haven't tried it and are simply guessing that you won't like it (if I'm wrong I apologize and I'd love to know what you think is missing from Terminal). That said, if you want it you can get xterm prebuilt (along with a full X install from source or binary) from the Fink project (http://fink.sourceforge.net). apt-get to your heart's content.

      Jaguar (10.2)
      -------------
      - Perl 5.6.1 is included. Python is included (not sure about version). Ruby is included. Not sure if Tcl/Tk is included, but again its almost sure to be available from community sites.

      - Terminal is reported improved even more. See http://www.apple.com/macosx/jaguar/unix.html

      - All the free dev tools (including GCC3) will be available as a part of Jaguar, probably as a separate download again.

      As for the rest of it... Well, the free dev tools are very good. I suspect coming from a Linux world they will meet your needs. Some folks prefer the CodeWarrior dev tools which still require separate purchase. Mostly these are folks from Mac backgrounds (including myself) who have used CW for years and like it.

      To find out what's included in the Darwin (UNIX) layer of MacOS a poke around the Darwin site is likely in order http://developer.apple.com/darwin/. If you want you could even install on X86 and try it out (although obviously this won't be the same as the experience of MacOS X which includes both Darwin and the higher level items like ProjectBuilder).

      More generally, the Apple developer site http://developer.apple.com/ is a good resource for developers. Third party developer sites such as http://www.stepwise.com/ are also invaluable.

      Information on portability of common UNIX tools to OS X is usually dictated in part by the opensource community for that tool. So for example, you really should check the Perl porters list/site for details on Perl port.

      For projects which are not porting to OS X on their own the Fink project(http://fink.sourceforge.net) is likely your best bet.

      Hope this helps,

      Bas

    8. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
      I suppose you mean well, but I have to say that I found the tone of your post pretty annoying.

      You bash the platform for a number of purported deficits, and yet you claim (and demonstrate) a complete lack of knowledge about it.

      I suppose I should just let it go, but what really frosts me is how you seem to feel that you are far too "l33t" a badass unix stud for any toy system to satisfy, and yet you obviously aren't willing to invest even the tiniest effort to investigate the actual facts. Do you even realize how asinine that combination of arrogance, ignorance, and ineptness really is? Would you think it appropriate if someone trashed Linux/Perl/GPL/whatever with the same pathetic incompetence?

      In a nutshell, though, the answer is yes. Perl? Yes. GCC? Yes. X11? Yes. MYSQL? Yes. Apache/PHP? Yes. Ruby? Yes? POV-RAY? Yes. GIMP? Yes. NetHack? Yes. Whatever does not come preinstalled is readily available not only from Apple, but from the standard distribution channels for the specific tools. In fact, if you look around you will see that most popular apps have OS X on the regular build tree -- run the nightlies all you like.

      Anyone who is interested in learning more about the Unix infrastructure of OS X might want to check out the following starter list:

      Darwin - Darwin is a complete open-source BSD distribution. Apple makes both the source and extensive documentation available for free. It does the same for a number of other major apps, such as the QuickTime Streaming Server. This does not include the source to things like the Aqua and the user-experience GUI, but it is everything you would get in a regular Unix...because it IS a regular Unix.

      Apple Developer Program -- For the price of a free registration, you can download the latest tools (e.g., gcc3, ProjectBuilder), APIs, and sample code directly from Apple. These tools include "generic" Unix favorites as well as a number of extremely powerful OS X-specific tools.

      Fink -- The major source of convenient ports using the Debian dpkg and apt-get tools. There are other systems, but Fink makes installing things such as X11, KDE, Gnome et al a snap and has over a thousand of the top apps ready to roll. Don't forget Fink Commander, which gives you a convenient Aqua interface to the Fink tools.

      O'Reilly's OS X Developer Center -- O'Reilly needs no introduction, but their OS X developer articles and resources are an excellent source of information for developers of all levels.

      Stepwise -- Scott Anguish and the Stepwise folks cut their teeth on NeXT, but they continue to offer gurudom to the OS X community. They regularly detail how to use the latest ports and patches, and know a ton about Cocoa and Mac development.

      MAc OS X Labs -- Though their focus is on using OS X in higher education, they are a decent resource for OS X-related development and integration.

    9. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Creepy · · Score: 3, Informative

      You're saying Microsoft doesn't charge a lot for a development package? Last time I checked, Visual Studio was $600.

      Yes to all your tools questions. XFree86 runs on top of OS X, either in Rootless or Rooted mode (separate screen or local screen). If you've ever used Cygwin on Windows, you'll know what rootless X-Windows are like. Rooted is just like linux, with your window manager and everything. Speaking of Window Managers, Gnome, Enlightenment, fvwm, fvwm2, and quite a few more are available. I haven't seen a KDE port yet (probably because of QT), so that isn't available. If you're feeling extremely zealous, you can run a window manager on top of OS X and arrange your iconbars and stuff so it is usable.

      It is also possible to run Gnome on top of OS X, with Gnome's title bar underneath the OS X menu bar. I had to move the mac icon bar to the right side, but I don't believe the latest versions of gnome require this.

      Python comes as both a Fink module (essentially a debian package manager file, so probably a tarball as well) and a Framework, depending on how you aquire it. Jaguar is supposed to include Python. Perl is on all distrobutions. TCL/TK can be downloaded and installed.

    10. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by TWR · · Score: 2
      Dev tools from Apple are a free download once you create a (free) Apple Developer Online account.

      The list of new UNIX things in 10.2: http://www.apple.com/macosx/jaguar/unix.html

      Development environment information: http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/projectbuilde r.html

      The list of UNIX things in the current OS (10.1.5): http://developer.apple.com/darwin/

      The tools that OS X ships with are a superset of what you get with most Linux distribs, so I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.

      -jon

      --

      Remember Amalek.

    11. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      Just curious, what do you not like about Terminal.app? It was the first shell hosting applicaiton I've found that I like about as much as XTerm. Even though I have rootless X set up, I still use Terminal.app for shells (though I did set it up to use bash instead of tcsh - bash was not there out of the box, most other things are though).

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    12. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Noonian · · Score: 1

      I haven't seen a KDE port yet (probably because of QT)...

      KDE support is in the unstable branch of fink. See the announcement. Packages are available in source and in binary form.

    13. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Channing · · Score: 1

      Kde is indeed available through fink and runs well: check out http://dot.kde.org/1022869694/

      Trolltech has also released QT for OSX.

      chang

    14. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Aapje · · Score: 2

      First of all I want to point out that Apple tries to bring powerful technology to the masses by reducing unnecessary complexity. Something I don't look down on. In fact, I get annoyed when something is more complex than it has to be. That focus means, however, that they will hype things like iTunes, not the included Perl 5.6. On the other hand, they seem to be very hard at work at creating the best possible environment for developers, something which indeed was lacking in the past. But I digress and offer my assistance:

      To get to the page you seek, you go to Apple.com and click on 'developer' (top right). The page that comes up contains links to documentation and sample code for when you decide to try out Cocoa, a login button for the developer programs (there is a free one that allows you to download the developer tools and other stuff) and an intro-page for programmers. You'll be very interested in that page since it contains links to various documents (the 'essential reading') on the technical underpinnings of OS X. You'll want to read up on that to understand the way things work. Next stop might be the page specific to Unix. You'll see that a few major Unix-apps are being named, but alas, no mention of python or tcl/tk. Fortunately, the page does contain a link to the Fink package manager (based on apt-get). You can find many more packages there, including a (optionally) rootless version of XFree. It allows you to use your familiar X apps next to OS X apps (be sure to use Orobor to have your X apps use Aqua widgets).

      I don't have a list of all the Unix software that is standard on OS X or that you can download, but I don't think that you'll find any of the more popular tools missing. Given the number of Unix developers and users switching to OS X, I expect OS X to become a first class citizen in the Unix world quite soon. As of yet, you might still have to change paths in makefiles to get the less common software to configure, make, make install. I don't think an experienced Unix-guy like you will have a lot of problems with that however. In return for these minor issues, you will (hopefully) have a great experience using OS X.

      --

      The Drowned and the Saved - Primo Levi
    15. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Last time I checked, Visual Studio was $600"

      Yea if you want all the crap they package with Visual Studio....

      But if all you want is Visual C++, then its 179.99 CAD, which is about 120 USD...

      Now that is a steal for a kick ass development pacakge...

    16. Re:So what other unix goodies do they have? by benh57 · · Score: 1

      Er, you must not have looked very closely at the web site. All your questions are answered in the "UNIX" section.

      oh and the developer tools *DO* come with every mac sold, as a .pkg file on the hard drive.

  137. iSubject, iPay by onShore_Jake · · Score: 1
    Apple showed some new ads in the "Switch" campaign, including ... a comedian who ended his commercial with, "My name is Will Ferrell ... and I'm a porn actor."

    I wish to see this. I guess I just get the regular switch ads untill i pay $99 for the service
    btw, they are total bungs for the bait and switch email service.

    1. Re:iSubject, iPay by dacetone · · Score: 1

      If you want to see the Will Ferrell ad, check out this link

      Very funny, I thought ;)

      --
      Just follow the day, and reach fo
  138. OS X on PC? by bethel · · Score: 0, Troll

    Since OSX is based on unix, can't it be made to work on a PC?

    1. Re:OS X on PC? by zoomshorts · · Score: 0

      Wait 2 minutes between posts, what the hell is up with that? I get penalized for fast typing? How lame can you folks get? Maybe you should buy a Mac and learn about real computers.

      .
      .
      FreeBSD, OpenBSD and any Linux flavor should run on a PC. There, back on topic, sidetracked by a lamoid rule.

    2. Re:OS X on PC? by Strog · · Score: 1

      Sure it is possible but there will be airborne pork before that happens. The difference in CPUs will stop you from just dropping the CD in and going. There would also be the whole bios vs. openfirmware which could probably eventually be worked out. The problem is that Apple wouldn't want you to have a reason not to buy the hardware that makes a large chunk of the money. Compiling it for the x86 platform would kill sales for Apple hardware. Would you buy a $3000 box when you could get a $800 Athlon and throw OS X on it? Some still will but not enough to make it worth Apple's while.

    3. Re:OS X on PC? by jbolden · · Score: 1

      BSD runs on PCs. Darwin might have a version for PCs. The next layer up (Cocoa, Classic...) is never going to run on PCs. So the next level up Aqua is never...

  139. Sherlock 3 is like Watson by teridon · · Score: 2

    First thing I thought about when I saw Sherlock 3 was Watson. Even Apple's Phil Schiller said how cool it was. I guess Apple thought it was so cool they would practically copy it!
    Watson provides many more services than Sherlock 3, but it also costs $30.

    --
    I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing. -- Thomas Jefferson
  140. It's the ISP that you still need by mblase · · Score: 2

    My ISP charges $20.00 a month for a 5MB mailox and 50MB of FTP space. Apple is providing more than that for $100.00 a year. That's half off for me - for more space.

    Yes, but the one thing that .Mac doesn't include is dialup (or broadband) access of any kind. If Apple had struck some kind of deal to package an Earthlink or AOL dialup and include it in the .Mac package, I might be sold. But you'll still be paying $20/month for your ISP, $240/year, and then paying Apple an additional $100/year for their storage and email account.

    This is the problem for me. For $100/year, I want to be able to kick my current dialup account out the window. An extra $9/month isn't much to ask, but it is when my ISP already provides email and storage, the two features that are most important to me.

    1. Re:It's the ISP that you still need by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can see apple charging for web hosting etc. All I want is email. I luv mac.com Account but $100.00 a year for email account is a bit much. Even Microsoft doesn't charge for email. Get with it Apple. I know times are tough for everyone but to charge for email?
      I think I 'll just start using my hotmail account more.... Yeesh!

  141. Apples upgrade pricing for os X10.2 is full of BS by UV_Haze · · Score: 1
    I just called apple and sent a couple of faxes to them. Just to bitch about what i call "bliking of customers" Thought I should post it here. Feel free to fax it on your own. The fax number at apple that takes care of upgrades is 1-800-973-0376. --- Send to: MAC OS X Up-to-Date
    Number: 1-800-973-0376

    July 17, 2002.

    To Whom it May Concern,

    Please note that I think your pricing of OS X (10.2) for existing users (license owners) is unreasonable. Everywhere else I look I see companies charging less for upgrades than they do for the full version. I purchased a 3000$ machine from you guys in January. I didn't get it until March (new iMac) . It came a month late. And now you're telling me that I have to shell out an additional 200$ Canadian to remain a part of the club of elite mac users. Please rethink the decision to screw all your older customers. I understand your need to generate revenue and to drive hardware sales. I would like to point out that you should also be considerate of those who have remained loyal to you and those that send their friends into the stores to buy macs. I think that you should charge for the OS X (10.2) don't give it away for free. But charge a reasonable upgrade amount. Those mac-up-to-date coupons that came with my computer are useless otherwise.

    Sample of Products from macwarehouse site:

    Adobe Photoshop Whole Prouct(949.99) Upgrade(219)
    Windows XP Whole Product (449.99) Upgrade (299.99)
    Macromedia Studio MX Whole Product(1149.00) Upgrade from one product (899.99)
    Apple Mac OS X (10.2) Whole Product (199.95) Upgrade (199.95)

    * Arguably the different versions of all of the products in the above table are different programs. But note that the other companies offer a discount to existing customers. It would be great to see Apple do the same.

  142. Bluetooth not ready for mainstream by yerdaddy · · Score: 1

    I wish I had mod privs today, so I could mod this thread up. Essentially I have the same questions.

    Is Bluetooth ready for mainstream?


    http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/07/08/tech.te st .bluetooth.ap/

    What are people's experiences?

    I've had zero success finding a mobile phone (in the US) that could sync with anything. Really would love to have this feature. "bluetooth" doesn't even bring up a hit searching the sprintpcs, verizon wireless, or voicestream websites.

    Another interesting link:
    http://www.antonio.perrotta.com/palm/

  143. just 'steal' it by jchristopher · · Score: 5, Insightful
    If ever there was an OS update that deserved to be 'stolen', this is it. For 18 months now, OS X users have been promised dramatic speed increases and an end to the spinning beach ball of death "real soon now". Every update has delivered tiny incremental speed increases, yet even with 10.1.5, the GUI still lags.

    The people that have already bought and paid for OS X are Apple's staunchest supporters. If anyone deserves to finally have a fast OS, it's them. Yet they are being asked to pay full tilt ($129) for the speed that should have been there in the very first release.

    OS X as it currently sits can be slow even on fast Mac hardware, and annoyingly laggy on slower Macs. This is simply not acceptable. Mac OS X users deserve these fixes for free, and I suspect that most people will take them without paying if they have the opportunity.

    1. Re:just 'steal' it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only seems fair. After all they STOLE IT FROM THE STUPID BSD DEVELOPERS. Ups sorry, that should be the stupid bsd developers let Apple take it.

    2. Re:just 'steal' it by micq · · Score: 1

      Amen. Though I do not advocate the stealing of software.

    3. Re:just 'steal' it by Mac+Nazgul · · Score: 2

      No one put a gun to your head and said: "Use OS X or die..."

    4. Re:just 'steal' it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the spinning beach ball of death

      That is the most interesting expression I've heard today.

  144. iTunes 3 drm? by mr_burns · · Score: 2

    What's this business with audible.com support in iTunes 3? Do they use DRM? This document says they make a special codec:

    http://www.fullplaymedia.com/partners/partners.h tm

    and this document says they definitely do:

    http://www.cognitrol.com/ADBL/devices.htm

    So is this audible.com support a trojan horse for DRM in iTunes? The answer is likely yes. This is one mac user who won't upgrade to iTunes 3.

    Apparently, iPod also now supports it, so beware firmware updates.

    --
    "Let him go, Ralph. He knows what he's doing." --Otto Mann (simpsons)
  145. What's with the August 24th. release date? by King_TJ · · Score: 2

    Did anyone else catch that the release date for the new OSX update is August 24th. - the same day Microsoft picked for the release of Windows '95?

    Maybe it's just coincidence, but it just struck me as interesting. Can't help but wonder if there's any significance behind it.

    (In any case, it's also my birthday. Unfortunately, I don't own a Mac - so I don't think I'll be looking for a copy of this OS as a gift this year.)

    1. Re:What's with the August 24th. release date? by dadragon · · Score: 1

      (In any case, it's also my birthday. Unfortunately, I don't own a Mac - so I don't think I'll be looking for a copy of this OS as a gift this year.)

      Maybe you will get a copy of it... on you brand new TiBook. :)

      --
      God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!
  146. Re:those mac commercials almost have me hypnotized by frankie · · Score: 3, Informative

    now i'm just pricing some G4s.

    Do not buy a PowerMac until the new models come out -- either in mid August or early September.

  147. Sorry, but this simply isn't true by l-ascorbic · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...much as i wish it were. There was no mention at all of discounts for those of us with software coupons. It's full price for everyone except those who bought the computers today or later, presumably to stop people holding off on buying new hardware.

  148. "Move to Mac" Device by ufotofu · · Score: 1

    I saw on the MacWorld report over at MacInTouch.com that Apple has a $59 device for people switching from Windows to Mac. It is a USB device that sucks preferences from a user's Windows machine, and transfers them to their new Mac.

    Has anyone thought about a hardware solution for moving users from Windows to Linux?

    1. Re:"Move to Mac" Device by superdan2k · · Score: 1

      It's called Move2Mac, and it's from Detto. They don't have any information up yet, except that it will be available in Q3, 2002.

      --
      blog |
  149. Naming conventions? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What the hell is with all these iThings? iTunes? iPod? iChat? iCal? iSync? How about iWanttofuckingslashyourgoddamnthroat? iThink this is retarded. iGuess they just got tired of coming up with original names for their products.

  150. Not enough precision by tmark · · Score: 2

    The new 10GB model is 7.692 percent thinner than the previous version.

    I think I need a few more significant digits to adequately assess this new iPod.

    1. Re:Not enough precision by illerd · · Score: 1

      I'll bet it exapands and contracts enough with the heat from it's hd or your pocket to invalidate those last 2 digits.

  151. When will iTunes / iPod support AAC ? by bradlauster · · Score: 1

    I was surprised that iTunes3 was announced without support for AAC (mpeg-4 Advanced Audio Coding).

    Anyone care to speculate when iTunes (and more importantly, the iPod) will support AAC?

  152. Apple's trying to gouge us? I don't think so. by keith_veleba · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I bought a Mac last summer because OSX seemed like the best thing since sliced bread for me as a Java developer. Java version parity with official JDK releases really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Performance of the Apple runtime is barely tenable. For me, the Mac has become a curiosity, a toy, nothing more. I've gone back to x86 Linux for the majority of my development work. I'm even eyeing the Mac I have as a candidate for Yellow Dog or Gentoo PPC. I will buy the upgrade, but there's no motivation to do so by the end of the year.

    Stop whining about Apple's upgrade policies, since they've historically been done this way. You always have a choice. That's the great part about capitalism.

    However, for those of you for which the Mac is a primary computer, think of the alternatives.

    1) Load Yellow Dog/Gentoo/. Your cost is nothing but time. Learn to become one with the source. MacOnLinux will allow you to run any Classic apps you'll absolutely need.

    2) Sell the Mac. Buy a PC. Move to the Orwellian world of Microsoft licensing vis a vis Windows and Office XP. Enjoy PAYING EVEN MORE for EVEN LESS.

    3) Suck it up, plop down the 130 clams and support one of the best damn *nix desktops I've seen to date. Normal people can use it! It even has Office for those of you who need it.

    Apple is trying to make themselves ubiquitous when it comes to consumers who have digital cameras, camcorders, mp3 players, etc. Everything they do now is moving the company closer and closer to that vision.

    Even for those of you who bought the public beta and the first full version, 130 bucks is cheap for what you get. Yes, printing may not be perfect. Yes, there are still a lot of bugs. Yes, Apple has a penchant for adding things we current users don't need or want, but they have to balance what existing customers want vs. what will bring new users to the platform.

    The following is a personal motto of mine, which gathers more credibility each day:

    Pay now or pay later, but keep in mind that you WILL pay.

    Pony up the $130 bucks for the upgrade. Be a good MacHead and support your platform of choice. Use something else if you don't. The ultimate alternative is that Bill gets your money and control over your desktop.

    Rant complete.
    Ready.

    Keith

    --
    --- If you hadn't stayed to read this .sig, you'd be home by now.
  153. Agreed, what's the deal? by Simon+Carr · · Score: 1
    This reeks of gouging, even if it is a major release there should be an upgrade discount. People who have recently purchased Apple hardware with OS X.1 installed are getting stiffed by the very company who sold them the hardware in the first place!

    How can I justify to myself buying into this when I know 10.3 will come out maybe a year later with the same deal? I don't want to pay $200 a year just in OS updates.

    Listen, I'm a fan of Apple and Macintosh, but I shudder to think how things would be if they were in a monopoly position rather than MS. If this is the way they're positioning when they're low on market share it'll be a whole other story if they ever become bigger than the biggest, IMHO.

    --
    -- The unsig...
  154. and let's not forget iSux! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    :P

  155. The price isn't THAT bad by nvrrobx · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Okay, $1999 for the 17" iMac.. That's NOT bad, if you consider the display itself is worth almost $700+ (comparing to a Samsung SyncMaster 171S), and the SuperDrive isn't exactly cheap on its own either. Sure, Apple wants a bit too much for RAM, so just get it with 256 megs and get on crucial.com to buy the rest of your RAM.

    I've been a die-hard PC user for years, but I'm also a wireless nut (cell phones and such).. The Bluetooth integration and that display just excited me and gave me goosebumps...

    I know this is the Mac I _have_ to own.

    My boss just made a comment - he'd love to buy his wife one, but he's afraid she'd never touch a Windows PC ever again. :)

  156. Sometimes it just has to be said by zoomshorts · · Score: 0

    As a former Apple fan, a person who actually shelled out the cash for a Lisa, and then sold it as fast as I could, I just have to say this...
    I am now a Whitebox/Windows/Linux user. Apple has been catering to an effete corp of impudent snobs for many years and the deeper it gets, the more it smells. I can get a better machine, that I can upgrade for so much less money, it is almost unbelievable. I am not mentally challenged enough to require a ONE BUTTON MOUSE.
    .
    .
    My advice is to sell your Apple gear to some poor unfortunate individual, take the money and get a decent machine, slap Linux on it and enjoy! Do it today, don't delay.

  157. hrmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well shit. So far for me apple is batting about zero for the things that would want me to not seriously consider making a nice component based system.

    I get a Ruby imac (awsome little girl) 6 months latter: Oh btw it's no longer supported and we don't have a trade up program.

    I say ok well, no bigy. I wonder what I can upgrade:
    Nota.
    Well that's a bit of a strech I can get up to 1 gig of ram in her.
    Cant get a bigger internal drive, or new GPU though.
    Apple is and has fased out support for os X onher.
    And has started to fase out support for system .x
    (up to system .92 )
    I think when they wrote the swich commercial they ment iether:
    We used a rubber swich on this person to get a testimonial.
    OR: Go get a component based system.

    1. Re:hrmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well shit. So far for me apple is batting about zero for the things that would want me to not seriously consider making a nice component based system. I get a Ruby imac (awsome little girl) 6 months latter: Oh btw it's no longer supported and we don't have a trade up program. I say ok well, no bigy. I wonder what I can upgrade: Nota. Well that's a bit of a strech I can get up to 1 gig of ram in her. Cant get a bigger internal drive, or new GPU though. Apple is and has fased out support for os X onher. And has started to fase out support for system .x (up to system .92 ) I think when they wrote the swich commercial they ment iether: We used a rubber swich on this person to get a testimonial. OR: Go get a component based system.

  158. glad I'm not a Mac user by Ender+Ryan · · Score: 1
    After seeing this, I'm extremely glad I never bought one of the new iMacs. There is no way I'd pay $129 for a (relatively) minor upgrade. That's ridiculous! You already paid for OSX once, and they want you to pay for them to fix the shortcomings of their first release?

    That's not a very compelling way to get windows users to switch. That's also not very compelling for a Unix professional who doesn't need an OS that holds his hand. I don't understand what segment of the market they are going after.

    I'll stick with Linux on my cheap x86 hardware for now. With that I get everything I'd want from a Mac for half the price, plus more upgrade freedom, and software updates for free.

    --
    Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
    1. Re:glad I'm not a Mac user by 90XDoubleSide · · Score: 2

      This is hardly a minor release; the real mistake is that Apple is calling it 10.2 which implies a free upgrade, instead of 10.5 or 11. This isn't a shortcoming fix release; that's what 10.1 was. 10.2 is about including all the features everyone has asked for and then some, and getting the GUI and Finder speed at least doubled. Quite a bit faster than WinXP, anyways, and I haven't been able to try a build more than 5 weeks old :)

      --
      "Reality is just a convenient measure of complexity" -Alvy Ray Smith
    2. Re:glad I'm not a Mac user by Bwana · · Score: 1

      I'd call hardware accelerated graphics layer [Quartz Extreme] a major upgrade. But that's just me.

      --

      "Electric Relaxation" - ATCQ
      - Bwana
  159. Another thought concerning OS X price. by Fugly · · Score: 1

    Um, we've got by far the coolest OS in existance right now.

    1. Open source, BSD-based, core
    2. Beautiful, Apple-designed user interface
    3. Compiles most open source unix apps.
    4. Runs tons of retail software - Including every game I've bought in the last year actually (dunno why I've been buying PC versions).
    5. Includes a few killer apps (can we say iTunes?) right out of the box.

    How 'bout we pony up and pay the man? I mean, hell, it's better than giving cash to Micro$oft for something far crappier right?

  160. Re:And it still doesn't crash as often as my Win b by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If your windows computer crashes often then you either have it set up wrong or you have shitty fucking hardware/third party software. The crap about Windows still being unstable is utter FUD. Granted, Windows 95,98,Me were crash traps, but if you have problems with them, fucking upgrade. Windows 2000/XP is extremely stable. If you have problems with it, it's your own damn fault for putting it on crappy hardware, or using ratty software. Microsoft's current OSs are way more stable than anyone on slashdot is prepared to admit for fear of being labeled a Microsoftie or some other such childish nonsense.

    The stability that Microsoft has achieved already is a testiment to their skill. Stability in OSX should be easy by comparison...Apple knows the exact configuration of everything it might ever run on. Microsoft has to deal with a virtually limitless combination of hardware/software, much of which is substandard.

    IF YOUR COMPUTER CRASHES CONSTANTLY, YOU DID SOMETHING TO SCREW IT UP

    On another note, people harp on Microsoft's security. Of course people are going to find holes in Microsoft's stuff. With a codebase as large as Windows' there are bound to be holes all over the place. And with a userbase as large as it has, they are bound to be discovered.

    OSS has security holes too, but 1)it is not as much of a target because the userbase is of lilipution proportions in comparison to Microsoft and 2)holes quietly get found and plugged during development.

    OSX is never going to be a major target, simply for the fact that it will never EVER be a major player. Why would some enterprising hacker waste his time looking for exploits in such an obscure OS.

    The Microsoft hate is just a product of penis envy and you all know it. They have the users, you want the users, you will never have them, you hate Microsoft. I do not endorse Microsoft's business practices, because quite frankly they suck and are probably illegal, but they make quality products. And anyone that disagrees is just spreading FUD and they know it

  161. Bargain for existing customers by Shadowmist · · Score: 1

    If you already have an iTools account the first year membership is only going to be fifty bucks.

  162. What is a major upgrade? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After reading many of teh comments I started to wonder. Are people willing to pay for an upgrade only when there are major changes in the interface??

    Come on, 10.2 has many very nice enhancements that are non-visibles at first but have a great value to my sense.

    - Quartz extreme (systemn wide hardware compositing, doubles the graphic performance)
    - CUPS printing (always nice to have)
    - IP v6
    - better SMB support (more accessible)
    - instant find files access (don't know how to describe this one)
    - system wide multilingual spell checking (for all of us who sometimes write in other languages than english)

    I'd rather pay for these sort of features than for just eye candy. Just my two cents besides, the upgrade is 20$ so stop complaining about a 100$.

  163. itunes 3 is a behemot. by anarcat · · Score: 1
    iTunes is really a nice program: ratings, play counts (I wish I had those in XMMS!), auto playlist update, volume normalizer. All would be great if it wouldn't be so CPU-hungry. What an horrible monster!

    I've never seen an MP3 player suck so much from a CPU. On this G3 (256MB), it takes between 50 to 80% of the CPU just ON PAUSE.

    It uses about 130MB of virtual memory and 20MB of resident.

    This is probably a bug since a co-worker here uses the same iTunes on his imac with a 15% usage instead.

    Too bad I can't go back to the previous iTunes now. :(

    --
    Semantics is the gravity of abstraction
    1. Re:itunes 3 is a behemot. by gerardrj · · Score: 1

      Must be something wrong in your system. On my G3/375(416MB) on pause iTunes 3 uses .05% of CPU. While playing (128kbit vbr) it uses between 25% and 35% of CPU with the sound enhancer and EQ enabled. 67MB of vitual memory, 11M resident.
      Certainly no behemoth on my ancent system.

      --
      Article X: The powers not delegated... by the Constitution...are reserved...to the people
    2. Re:itunes 3 is a behemot. by rjung2k · · Score: 1

      iTunes 3 sucks CPU when you first run it to adjust the volume of your MP3s. After that, it's well-behaved.

  164. maybe not? by glitchvern · · Score: 1

    If I recall they pulled this same thing last time with os X 10.1 but you ended up being able to get the upgrade cds for free from the the mac stores and also maybe the CompUSA stores. They just didn't tell anyone about it. Not real sure about the CompUSA it might of been somewhere else, but there was another place besides apple's stores.

  165. Currency conversion by realkiwi · · Score: 1

    iMac 17" costs $1999 = 2630 EUROS in Europe

    For memory $1 = 1 EURO

    Apple gets $630 for each iMac 17" sold in Europe. Credit for the same costs $88 in Europe compared to $44 in the US.

    --
    realkiwi
    1. Re:Currency conversion by illerd · · Score: 1

      Didn't you know? Everything is cheaper in the states.

  166. Yes you can use the same iPod on two macs by Krashed · · Score: 3, Informative

    Just read Apple's knowledge base. If you turn off the Automatic iPod update in the iTunes control panel, you can COPY the music to the iPod from several Macs. You cannot copy the music back to the computer though without third party software.

    1. Re:Yes you can use the same iPod on two macs by am+2k · · Score: 1

      Just mark the folders in "iPod_Control/Music/F??" as visible (using Resedit or SetFile from the Developer Tools), open iPod_Control/Music in the Finder (using Go To Folder) and drag it to your Library in iTunes. Done.

  167. RH 7.2 by BigBir3d · · Score: 1

    The Redhat situation is entirely different. If you choose, you can have any version (6.1, 7.0, 7.2 whatever) for free (download edition).

    With OSX, you have to either buy a new computer that has it installed, or purchase OSX seperately.

    Everything else you say is spot on. People don't want to pay for features, and then bitch when new features don't come out quickly enough to suit them.

    In todays business world, you usually can't have it both ways. OSS is the exception, not the rule. I think people lose sight of that sometimes.

    Apple is not trying to enlighten society, they are trying to make money off of society.

  168. OOPS! by Perdo · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The Apple Tax went up again.

    Looks like there are going to be some pissed off graphic artists. None of them are working and the price of their tools just went up.

    Jobs is taking lessons from Gates. Piss on your user base and watch your market share climb.

    (That means that Mac and Windows users are fools)

    --

    If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.

  169. Well, iTunes is still pop music-only by C+A+S+S+I+E+L · · Score: 1

    From what I read in the iTunes 3.0 release notes, it still can't handle CD's where the music seamlessly spans multiple tracks. I'm getting sick of ripping CD tracks into Digital Performer and doing digital mixdowns just so I can get MP3's without gaps in the audio.

    1. Re:Well, iTunes is still pop music-only by 90XDoubleSide · · Score: 2

      iTunes 3 lets you merge tracks when you import, and you have been able to get near seamless playthrough by turning on crossfade and setting the time to 0 since iTunes 2.

      --
      "Reality is just a convenient measure of complexity" -Alvy Ray Smith
    2. Re:Well, iTunes is still pop music-only by C+A+S+S+I+E+L · · Score: 1

      The crossfade feature has always been a hack, and has always sounded dreadful. Thanks for the pointer to the track merging in iTunes 3, though: I didn't notice that at first, and will definitely try it out.

  170. D'uh, Trillian? by JanusFury · · Score: 1

    "iChat is the first client compatible with AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), allowing instant messaging between .Mac members, AOL members and AIM users. With its engaging use of the Mac OS X Aqua interface, iChat provides a great new user experience, with dialog bubbles and buddy photos that present instant messages in a graphically conversational manner -- and no annoying ads."

    First client? Uh, what about Trillian? Or do they mean first for the mac.

    --
    using namespace slashdot;
    troll::post();
    1. Re:D'uh, Trillian? by whee · · Score: 2

      How many times has AOL blocked Trillian? That's why iChat is the first 'compatible' with AIM. AOL considers iChat as an official AIM client; they say the exact opposite about Trillian.

    2. Re:D'uh, Trillian? by george399 · · Score: 1
      First client? Uh, what about Trillian? Or do they mean first for the mac.

      I believe they mean first official client authorized by AOL, (without a reverse engineering process to use the protocols)

      --
      Patience is a virtue, but I don't have the time - TH
  171. Missing O'Reilly Link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  172. Windows version costs more by Krashed · · Score: 1

    While both units cost the same, if you want the Windows version to be engraved, it will cost an aditional $79 while the Mac version only costs $49. Either Apple is trying to pull a fast one or the price of engraving is going up an will change by the time the Windows version ships.

    1. Re:Windows version costs more by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it's $49 for the windows version from here.

  173. Re:New iMac Designed With Ancient Mathematical Sec by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Golden Ratio is actually (1 + 0.5^0.5)/2 - watch the order of operations. It is the number Phi such that Phi^2 = Phi + 1. There are in fact two numbers with this property.

  174. It's all in the pronouciation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OS X (pronouced 'X') is a fine name for an operating system, and Mac OS X Version 11 would probably be the least confusing way to do it. They just have to start pronouncing it the way everyone wants to pronounce it instead of Steve's "ten" way.

  175. Xserve by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple already seems a bit confused, what with the way they named their servers "XServe" (unless it's supposed to be pronounced "ten-serve")

  176. Online Petition Against .Mac Charges by SPYvSPY · · Score: 3, Informative

    The online petition to oppose the new .Mac charges is available at here.

    My 2 cents: The email accounts should remain free. The rest can be value-add fee-based.

    1. Re:Online Petition Against .Mac Charges by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why petition a corporation? Are you unhappy with your Mac? Apple is just trying to make money here. They can't make money unless you pay them. That's why you pay for proprietary commercial hardware and software. Didn't you understand that when you bought your Mac? Us PC/Linux users don't rely on corporations to provide us with email accounts or OS updates. So we enjoy a life of troubling difficulty figuring it all out on our own. Not fun unless you're a geek. But at least its free. I can't complain.

  177. Cingular are ass clowns. by juuri · · Score: 2

    Peruse groups.google and you will see people who have the t39 working on cingular's GPRS network. It really depends on where you are in the cingular network and lying about what your phone is.

    I've had a t39 for a long time and used it on the Cingular crapfest... but unforunately they are seemingly taking forever getting GPRS going in SF. As far as syncing, as long as you get an approved bluetooth solution or have infrared the t39 will sync.

    --
    --- I do not moderate.
  178. Correction: only first iTunes run is crappy by anarcat · · Score: 1

    Well, I stopped and restart iTunes 3 and it seems all is fine now.. Uses between 15 to 30% of the CPU now, with virtual mem size of 74,504 Kbytes and resident of 14,800 Kbytes.

    Quite useable.

    Go iTunes!

    --
    Semantics is the gravity of abstraction
  179. Guess what I'm returning by barnaclebarnes · · Score: 1, Redundant

    I get back from the store with my new 10GB iPod...still in its sealed box...

    F#$k. S#$t. wanker.

    --
    [Please type your sig here.]
    1. Re:Guess what I'm returning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bring it back....get your money back.
      Reason...it was a gift...the person is dead :)
      Or, your not happy with it.

    2. Re:Guess what I'm returning by Wesley+Felter · · Score: 2

      Don't you know never to buy anything before a keynote?

  180. Compared To Windows, Its Not So Bad by necro351 · · Score: 1
    Every few years,
    A new Windows came for all to fear
    It started with Windows x.y,
    And then Windows 95
    And every 24 or 36 months it seemed,
    New versions would pop up right to ME n' XP

    If cost summed, for each Windows released
    Over 500 dollars the price would increase!
    One could say the only difference between 98 and ME
    Is a few widgets redrawn and new bugs to be seen!

    When compared to Microsoft, Apple's no better
    They just choose different numbers rather then letters!
    Its not so hard to buy 10.2 or .3,
    If you think of it like buying a brand new XP

    To many Apple is just a corporate beast
    But they do need a pay check at the end of the week
    And unlike Windows' excuse for another crappy update
    Apple has an OpenGL facelift on the entire Quartz draw rate!

    Peace out fools...

    --
    --"You are your own God"--
  181. Too bad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Especially if it were to have happened a few months ago when I actually purchased the thing.

    Not to be callous, but it's not really Apple's fault you're a way-too-early adopter, is it? Especially with MacWorld around the corner, where they always make big announcements. And you knew you were going to use workarounds anyway, so what's the big deal?

    Same with the scroll wheel. You took a chance in order to have the "newest hardware" in it's early generations, and part of that risk is the chance for defects.

  182. Like Java by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Java 1.0
    Java 1.1
    Java 2 version 1.2
    Java 2 version 1.3
    Java 2 version 1.4...
    etc...

  183. iSync & iCal: Significantly cool by Fear+the+Clam · · Score: 1

    These are big. These are very big.

    There's nothing worse than transferring a friend's data from an old mail client, noticing a duplicate, and not being sure which address is current. Think of all the places where something as simple as an address or e-mail address may be duplicated: e-mail software at home and work, Palm/contact software at home and office, phone numbers in the cell phone, etc.. Being able to sync contacts between work and home via the Palm was a huge step, but even now if I have information in a mail client or a cell phone it's a pain to keep it synchronized.

    Donald Norman complained about this effort to "set up" stuff in The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design back in 1990, and this is the first time that I've seen an integrated solution to deal with this. Sure, things like my newsreader (MacSOUP) and mail client (PowerMail) will have to be modified to work with these, but this is totally sweet.

    In a related matter, I'm totally psyched for iCal. Despite its lame name, this looks like it has the potential to replace my Palm desktop application (which took its own sweet time getting ported to OS X in the first place -- but as a longtime Mac user and former U.S. Robotics/3Com shareholder, I'm used to getting the shaft from Palm).

    Now while I don't have a huge need to publish my calendar to millions of people or even within a large business, for several years I've been looking at something to simply allow my wife and I to compare Palm schedules so that we know what the other has planned before one of us tells others that we'd love to go to that party or movie. I guess we'd count as a small workgroup. Several Palm options exist, but they're all about US$50 and either require Windows (but of course the sites don't bother to say that until you're on the demo download page, do they?) or an Internet service that (a) I don't necessarily trust with my whole calendar, and (b) who knows when they're gonna go belly up. Being able to handle the whole thing behind my own firewall looks great.

    In terms of the upgrade cost, I prefer to think of it this way: The upgrade is $129, but includes the features I've liked in the demo of the kick-ass application Watson ($29) in Sherlock, a workgroup-synchronizing Palm calendar (~$50), and a Unicode character palette (comparable to ~$9 shareware). So, as far as I'm concerned, the upgrade is really only about forty bucks, which while not free, offers enough cool features and improvements (multithreaded finder, finder search, spring-loaded folders, Quartz extreme) that I'm not too concerned. Heck, with iChat I might even turn into one of those instant message wankers.

  184. Price whining by andyring · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Personally, I have no problem with the purchase price of Jaguar (note I said purchase price, not upgrade price). This is much more than a minor upgrade and bug fix.

    Also, for those whiny babies complaining "I bought a Mac last week and I'm pissed now!", shut the hell up. Practically everyone on the planet knew Apple was going to talk about Jaguar and a butload of other stuff at the MacWorld conference. Anyone with half a brain would have waited a bit longer until the conference, if nothing else in the hopes of a price drop on the computer itself. I bought a new G4 a month and a half ago, and I'm not going to complain about the Jaguar price.

    1. Re:Price whining by Bwana · · Score: 1

      Well said!

      I'm not going to complain neither. I'd gladly pay it. Quartz Extreme? Hello? This ain't just a bug fix people, this thing is loaded with new features.

      --

      "Electric Relaxation" - ATCQ
      - Bwana
    2. Re:Price whining by micq · · Score: 1

      am I feeding a troll... possibly...

      Yer an ass... I purchased my new Mac 2 weeks ago, and I'm pretty pissed.. Even the big evil M$ had the curtousy to send me a *FREE* upgrade to Office 2000 more than a month after I purchased my Dell laptop with Office 98... Not everyone buys into the hype surrounding a show, some of us don't have time for that...

      I can't say that this is absolutely apalling, or that Apple is running around screwing their "half brained" customers. I'm not going to curse Apple up and down for being the devil, and wrenching cash out of their customers...... but it would be good business practice to give the updates at a reasonable price.

    3. Re:Price whining by SoupIsGoodFood_42 · · Score: 1
      No. You shut the hell up. I got a 600Mhz iBook a few months ago. Long before Jaguar was even heard of. I've been putting up with the iBook's slow performance for quite a while. And the only reason I didn't return it was because I was under the missleading impression that perfomance would get much better.

      So far, it has hardly increased at all. Jaguar promises to improve speed. But I'm now sceptical of just how much of an improvment it will actually make.

      I don't want Jaguar for the new features. I just want the speed boost that my iBook desperatly needs. I shouldn't have to pay for that. I shouldn't have had to put up with it in the first place. Now I'll have to put up with it untill I replace my iBook.

      And please....no replys from other iBook users who "run OS X just fine". I'm not the only one bitterly dissapointed with OS X on the iBook. It has been argued to death. Lets just leave it that.

  185. More UNIX from Apple? by Sebastopol · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What's up with Job's quote:

    '...Apple is now the biggest supplier of Unix-based operating systems in the world -- "bigger than Sun, bigger than Linux" -- Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced during his Macworld keynote speech on Wednesday...'

    Anybody buy this?

    --
    https://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
    1. Re:More UNIX from Apple? by Peyna · · Score: 2

      I'd say they've probably sold more OS X workstations recently than Sun has sold Solaris workstations.

      --
      What?
  186. Have some mercy... by Quicksilver31337 · · Score: 1

    Please take a minute to sign this petition to ApplePetition

    --
    _______
    Death wish, n.:

    The only wish that always comes true, whether or not one wishes it t
  187. $129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I just called the Apple store at 1-800-my-apple, and the rep told me that the upgrade proof of purchase coupons you get when you buy a new machine will not apply to this upgrade, so it's $129 across the board, (unless you buy your machine starting today, and it doesn't already have Jaguar installed).

    She told me Apple is taking comments from (potential) customers to gauge their reactions, and that it could possibly result in changes to the plan. (Remember that the upgrade isn't actually available until August 24...plenty of time for them to change the pricing policy).

    In my case, I told them I was a "switcher" who has bought two new macs (an iMac and an iBook) in the last four months, and I was very unhappy that I'll need to pay $260 to upgrade them to 10.2. I suggested that they should at least honor the coupons and give a price break for them.

    Call them and tell them what you think...maybe we can make a difference.

    1. Re:$129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by WCityMike · · Score: 0

      Calls to the Apple Mac OS Up-to-Date program at 800-335-9258 confirm that at the current time, no upgrade price will be offered for Mac OS 10.2 between now and August 24. In other words, prior OS X users will have to buy a whole new copy of the operating system.

      However, when you mentioned that Apple is soliciting comments regarding their upgrade policy, I called, and confirmed: they are indeed soliciting comments. I imagine this means there may be a possibility of Apple rescinding its decision.

      The operator took my name, telephone number, and comments, and agreed that she personally expected a "great deal of feedback, and not all of it will be warm and fuzzy." She urged me, several times over, to continue monitoring the website to monitor this as it develops.

      It's your decision as to whether an impolite approach will be admired for its passion, but I'd speak courteously yet from the heart: remember that the operators answering your call aren't the ones who made the decision. Themes I touched on were the fact that people's loyalty to Apple can be lost if it shows itself as willing to screw over its user base for money. Most people, I said, would not have a problem with some upgrade fee, but to make us repurchase the program is a decision that will greatly damage Apple's reputation amidst its users.

    2. Re:$129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by mcwop · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I for one am pissed. I will wait for a rebate before I ever pay $129 for it. Just spent $3,000+ on a G4 two months ago.

      --

      "I don't think it's selfish, to eat defenseless shellfish." -NOFX

    3. Re:$129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by bnenning · · Score: 2
      She told me Apple is taking comments from (potential) customers to gauge their reactions, and that it could possibly result in changes to the plan.

      Mod parent up.

      --
      How to solve most of our problems: 1.Lots of nuclear plants. 2.Cure aging.
    4. Re:$129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by Fillup · · Score: 2, Funny

      hear hear!!!!! I have 2 computers, about $4000 worth of hardware. Both bought in the last 12 months. $250 upgrade. Yay!

      My letter to apple:
      ------------------

      Hey, there, Apple Folks! I've got some great ideas for ways you can gouge your best customers:

      1. Take all the early adopters who bought donuts and stood in line for Mac OS X. Twice. You know, the ones out there recruiting switchers. The people trying to get everyone else at the office to upgrade already. The ones who bought new computers last year just so they could rock it in OS X. Take these people, and charge them $120 per computer for a (cough) minor upgrade only a year after they bought in! It's brilliant! They'll certainly tell all their friends about you. I personally am really looking forward to plopping down another $250 for computers purchased in the last 12 months. Thanks, Uncle Steve!

      2. Hey, while you're at it, why don't you again screw over your early adopters? You know, the people who told their friends how easy it was to set up mac.com email in OS X? I mean, taking away imap would have been reasonable, heck, even webmail-only with advertising might have been a way to ease out of those nasty bandwidth obligations. Certainly making iDisk a fee service would make a lot of sense.

      But nah, I really think the best course of action is to force a zillion people to either find a new email account or pay up. When you have an opportunity to launch a great new service that can grow new revenue streams for your company, I think you should instead squander all that goodwill and urinate on the heads of those who bought in early. Thanks again! You guys really have picked up a trick or two from Bill and that other Steve.

      3. Sometime around Christmas, maybe after MWSF, you should really start charging for iChat, iPhoto, iTunes, and iMovie. Another idea -- lock down an obscure binary format for the Address Book, and then start charging for that a year after people start using it. $30 for each spoke of the digital hub, you know? Maybe it would be as successful as AppleWorks. That would be awesome. You could get all the little Apple-crackheads out there just shelling out dough like mad. First one's always free, right, dopeman?

      Smooth move, ex-lax. I am really peeved at you today. Look up my records and see how much money I have spent at your stupid Apple online store and your stupid Apple mall store in the last year. I am really mad at you.

      Boo. Hiss. This stinks to high heaven. Any positive feelings I had about iTunes 3 and the new iPods are washed out now.

      Every time I think you're getting the hang of things, something stupid like this goes down. And I don't even want to talk about the .Net name (er, I mean, .Mac).

      As a great musical artist once said, "Don't believe the hype."

      If you're going to reply to me, you'd better be quick! My email account is rumored to be due to expire -- although I haven't been officially notified, so heck, maybe not.

      Oh, and did I mention I'm a "Windows LAN administrator who bought a Mac"?

      One hot potato,

      Phillip Morelock
      Director of IT
      Nameless Company.

      --
      "I think there is a world market for, maybe, five computers." __ IBM Chairman, 1943 __
    5. Re:$129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just talked with Steve (not Jobs) at My-Apple. He said there is no family plan but additional email accounts can be purchased for $10/year each. But he couldn't tell me (limited training for all of them on this) if iSync would work between different email addresses or if it required different .Mac accounts. My concern is that a family of three is now required to shell out $300/year if they want to use that capability.

      Also, I said there should be some upgrade pricing for 10.2 as switching to .Mac and 10.2 is a lot of money for people to unexpectedly shell out in a single month.

      Finally, he said they've been getting TONS of feedback on these subjects and that it really does make a difference--the 17" iMac came about as a result of such feedback.

      -CARY

    6. Re:$129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The very nice lady I spoke to suggested that I call 1-800-767-2775 .

    7. Re:$129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I tried to call the number provided. I got four options, dial another number for "technical support," press 1 to place an order, press 2 to check on order and or go to www.apple.com for "information and comments on our products." I choose 1, even though I didn't really want to place an order, and gave up after 48 minutes on hold (speakerphone on my desk, but still ...).

      I tried to go to apple.com and use the "contact us" "feedback" form. Twice, after spending 10-15 minutes crafting a message to Apple, I received the "you've incompletely filled out the form, please try again," error. No go.

      I purchased a $3,500 800mHz Powerbook on June 25. I also purchased another $3,000 in other hardware/software updates to work with OS X (new printer, new scanner, additional RAM, etc). In the past six months I've spent $10,000 on Mac or Mac-compatiable hardware and software. Now, I'm supposed to pay 10.2 to upgrade a system I purchased less than three weeks ago. (Like a sucker I also bought a second iPod for the $100 rebate--which, to date, Apple refuses to honor; I've gone round and round with them--not knowing that I could have had an updated version of the same thing for less, or a unit that's twice the size if I'd waited three freakin' weeks!)

      I knew 10.2 was coming. It was why I finally decided to make the OS X switch (plus the fact that all my apps except for Quark have gone OS X) and there was quite a learning curve, but I've come to appreciate many of the good things about OS X (I've used Mac OS since System 6) and was really looking forward to a few of the bugs (including speed) being cleaned up in 10.2. If anyone had even HINTED that I would need to pay $129 to upgrade a system less than a month old I most certainly would have waited.

    8. Re:$129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Check the licensing terms on Mac OS X, I believe there is a provisio that you may install the operating system on both a desktop and notebook computer with just one license.

      -Byron

    9. Re:$129 upgrade, no coupons, but taking comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just wanted to let all know that the number to call is 1-800-767-2775 Apple Customer Relations press 4 and make your statement.

  188. Heh. by NickRob · · Score: 1

    Gotta hate July birthdays. Only a few days ago did I get my 10GB iPod. Now I get to be green w/ envy.

  189. I for one can't wait! by patrick42 · · Score: 1

    I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm as excited as a little school girl for August 24. Rendezvous and iChat alone will make things worthwhile. Finally, we will be able to very easily transfer files (and calendars!) to each other with no hassle. My friends and I all have iBooks/PowerBooks with wireless networks. No matter where we are, we can open up our computers, and start surfing right away. Only trouble is, file sharing has always been too many steps to get files from one computer to the other. With iChat, I'll be able to see Mike right away, and just drag a file onto him. Boom. It's there.

    Also, with Mail and its adaptive latent semantic analysis, I can finally be spam free. Sure, I've setup procmail with various recipes and such, but it takes way too long, and is never truly good enough. With all the new spamming tactics these days, one needs something that's smart and can learn. I've always thought Mail had potential, but for me the lack of a calendar was always a problem. Looks like with Jaguar I'll be switching from Microsoft Entourage to Mail/iCal/AddressBook.

    Five weeks and counting. How will I survive? :)

    1. Re:I for one can't wait! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me guess, you and your friends are gay?

    2. Re:I for one can't wait! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me guess, you must be a Windows user.

  190. Excellent Question by JudgeFurious · · Score: 1

    And one I am concerned with as well. Someone who knows what they are talking about please chime in on this one. I bought a 2x1Gig PowerMac 2 months ago and I am certainly wanting to see it running 10.2 but lets be reasonable here. I just gave this company thousands of dollars. Can't wait to go home and see if this is something that will help fend off that $129 update, or at least bring it down to a manageable size.

    --
    Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
    1. Re:Excellent Question by DavidRavenMoon · · Score: 2
      I bought a 2x1Gig PowerMac 2 months ago and I am certainly wanting to see it running 10.2 but lets be reasonable here

      You can get the upgrade for $19.95

      --
      -- if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic - Lewis Carrol
  191. iPod for PC in Stores by NetJunkie · · Score: 2

    The local Apple store won't get the new iPods for PC until next month. Anyone know the lead time to get one directly from Apple's Web Store?

    1. Re:iPod for PC in Stores by Krashed · · Score: 2, Informative

      5 to 8 weeks for the PC version from store.apple.com

      2 to 4 weeks for the Mac version from store.apple.com

    2. Re:iPod for PC in Stores by mattm76 · · Score: 1

      I wonder if this is true for all Apple stores. Shoot, I finally bit the bullet and bought a 5 gig iPod from Fry's on Monday. Now I can get a 10gig for the same price with all those added features. Good thing they have a 30-day return policy. It's already crashed my computer once and it had to be reset which almost led me to returning it in the 1st place. So I have a valid reason for my return, although you usually don't need one there.

  192. Re:Quartz Extreme (Need only an nVidia or Radeon) by Daniel+Joannidi · · Score: 1
    You shouldn't have any problems with your ATI Radeon cards.
    Apparently Quartz Extreme has that taken care of.

    For PowerBooks, this should cover everything after the
    PowerBook G4 (Gigabit Ethernet)
    For iBooks, the latest model: iBook (16MB VRAM) is the first to have a Radeon Video card.
    From Apple's main page on Mac OS X
    Requirements:
    Quartz Extreme functionality is supported by the following video GPUs:
    NVIDIA GeForce2 MX, GeForce3, GeForce4 MX, or GeForce4 Ti or any AGP-based ATI RADEON GPU. A minimum of 16MB VRAM is required.
  193. Re:New iMac Designed With Ancient Mathematical Sec by spectecjr · · Score: 2

    The wide-screen iMac specs page [apple.com] gives the native
    resolution of the 17" iMac as 1440x900. This is a 16:10 display ratio, which is about as
    close as any monitor I know of gets to the
    Golden Ratio [surrey.ac.uk], (1 + sqrt(5)/2), or approximately 1.618.

    Clearly Apple is trying to channel Pyramid Power [geocities.com]
    to sell more computers.


    Uh... no. 1.618 is just the aspect ratio of most film stock.

    Movie makers knew about that ratio a long time before apple even existed. ;-)

    Simon

    --
    Coming soon - pyrogyra
  194. iSpeak by techstar25 · · Score: 3, Funny

    iWant to iGet iMyself iOne of iThose iNew 17" iMacs.

  195. iMac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is no WAY they're going to let the iMac go up any farther in abilities. When it was introduced near everyone turned to one another and said 'Jeeze, the next PowerMacs had better ROCK'. So there's no way the consumer line in going to encroach any more... at least until the PM line has something other than 'slots' as it's only advantage.

  196. Or download it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It was mentioned several times in the keynote.

    1. Re:Or download it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ooo....we all will fall for it you AC fuckwad....guess the crowd at /. would NEVER check the source for themselves eh?

  197. Or download it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As was mentioned several times in the keynote, it'll be a free download. $129 gets you full install disks. Just like 10.1 actually.

  198. jagwire is pretty sweet dept. by tono · · Score: 1

    Yeah, Jagwire is pretty sweet. My mountain bike has jagwire brake lines to replace the stock hayes, and it gives them much more modulation. Also their teflon coated cables and kevlar housing is great for shifting. word up. Oh wait, this was about apple, that's jaguar. Just a heads up.

    --
    cheese logs keep my wang warm at night.
  199. Windows version costs more by Krashed · · Score: 1

    Try with the education discount. Either that or they are copying Dell by changing prices for different customer within a short time period. I think that was a Slashdot article a while back.

  200. Steve has no clue. by mschmitt · · Score: 1

    "Linux" is not a supplier of Unix-based systems. Period.

    1. Re:Steve has no clue. by mikefoley · · Score: 2

      Steve has a clue. It's called Marketing. In one statement, he's quelled the concerns of the PHB's who hear they "need" Unix/Linux. Apple/Steve just said that he sells more than anyone else, including that "Lie-nix" stuff that someone on his staff told him about.

      To a PHB, Linux could be an OS, a company, or a dessert topping. Steve just said he does Unix better and sells more than anyone else.

      It's marketing.

      --
      What's my Karma Mr. Burns? "Excellent"
    2. Re:Steve has no clue. by illerd · · Score: 1

      No, "Linux" is not a supplier of Unix based systems, but since most people in a position to buy it don't know what linux is, that's a simple way of saying "We sell more unix than Redhat, Suse, Mandrake, etc. COMBINED"

    3. Re:Steve has no clue. by extrasolar · · Score: 2

      Marketing doesn't have to mean treating your potential customers like idiots.

    4. Re:Steve has no clue. by bryan1945 · · Score: 1

      Someone tell that to Dell.

      "Dude, I want to smack that kid!"

      --
      Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
  201. Gee, the 'i' is gnothing like kde or gnome or gnu by cybrthng · · Score: 4, Funny

    just gnot like gnu or gnome and most certainly knot like kde kdesktop which is trying to konquery the world as well.

    everything is drawn out in the pc world :) heck, i could still use my 486 if i wanted to, we just got suckered into this performance/spec/mhz war.

    if it isn't one thing it is another

  202. MPEG-2 support for QT6 by alwaldauer · · Score: 1

    A lot of people are complaining that QT6 doesn't support MPEG-2 when Apple promised it would. I just thought I'd mention that the MPEG-2 support is being sold as an add on for educational customers for $19.99.

  203. 17" iMacs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Imagine a Beowolf Cluster of THESE!!!

  204. Actually, i think this is fucking great. by l-ascorbic · · Score: 1

    The most popular thing ever made by any mobile company is SMS. The idea that I can write SMSs on my iBook and then send them from my phone is so good that I'm gonna shell out for the Bluetooth dongle as soon as they get them back in stock.

    Given the choice of buying an expensive, bulky PDA, or storing contacts and calendar on a cute, tiny (and FREE) T68 is a no-brainer.

    More people have mobiles than PCs, digital cameras and whatever put together. It makes perfect sense that they should include them as an important part of their digital hub thing. The T68s are getting very popular in Europe. It can see people choosing a Mac just because they can easily control their mobile from it.

    1. Re:Actually, i think this is fucking great. by slashclone · · Score: 1



      t68 sucks better wait for Nokia 6610 or 7210 in Sepatember better features plus java2 mmmmm

      --


      US-UK-Israel: The real Axis of Evil
  205. Re: bring back the Pizza Box Mac! by frankie · · Score: 1

    On the low end, you have to buy a big, clunky, monitor-included thing. If you want a "component" system, you have to buy a tower, which is big and costs much moolah.

    Damn straight. The exact Mac I want would use the motherboard from the eMac (or a G4 nForce2, drool), put the graphics in an AGP slot, ditch the CRT, add a PCI slot & an open drive bay.

    Just enough expandability to satisfy a budget-conscious informed user. Why does Lord Steve refuse to sell Macs to this large market segment?

  206. ...and the kicker is... by slycer9 · · Score: 0

    Shipping on the new iPods is--> 5 to 7 weeks! Fuck that!

    --
    Don't park drunk, accidents cause people.
  207. Dude, you sure you want to draw that comparison? by JudgeFurious · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I mean, youare talking to people in a community who think it's cool to serve web pages on a Mac Plus.

    You start talking about how long a computer stays useful and decide to get in a pissing contest with the Mac and you're goin down hard. Part for part upgradability I'll take a clone PC built on my kitchen table any day but for getting the most life out of the parts you bought when it was new nothing touches an Apple.

    A 3 year old PC (RUNNING WINDOWS - pick your current version, this works in any era) is damned near useless. Of course take that same box and remove the OS and you got some life left in it but then that's not where the comparison lies really is it?

    --
    Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
  208. Infatuated? Hardly by JudgeFurious · · Score: 1

    Most Mac users are required to use the damned things. Want to play nice in a world full of people using Office 97? You better plan on getting Office to be able to open those documents. Want to go browse the web? Well it's written for Internet Explorer so you better have it.

    There is a difference between infatuation and coercion.

    --
    Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
  209. as someone who has recommended Macs for relatives by g4dget · · Score: 2
    I am really, really annoyed. Free iTools was a major reason for recommending the Mac: it made getting on-line much easier. This was a major part of Apple's advertising. iTools wasn't announced as a "1 year free trial", it was announced as an free service for Macintosh, something that made the system easier to use.

    It is just not acceptable to change conditions like that after people have given out their supposedly free email addresses. It makes people feel that they can't trust Apple to stand by their promises.

    The issue is not charging for value added services, the issue is charging for email addreses that used to be free. At $100/year, most people would not have started using iTools; many people will now have to pay because changing their email address is more painful, not because they like iTools so much that they are willing to pay that kind of money.

  210. Xserve User Licensing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No doubt Apple will decide to charge for OS X Server licensing at some point. Set up an xserve, put 200 users on it, then suddenly one day bam, $100 per user to get the new OS X Server.

    1. Re:Xserve User Licensing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No they won't. The unlimited user license is one of the XServe's biggest selling points over comparable Windows stuff and their CAL horseshit.

      All the Gates lovers that pooh-poohed the XServe in feature-for-feature comparisons with, say, Dell servers running Windows, all conveniently forgot that *ahem* "minor" added cost of an unlimited-client Microsoft license. Stir that into the mix, the XServe comes out on top every time.

  211. calm down by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He's joking, dude.
    Your "answers" are hyperbole.
    Don't be a zealot.

  212. iYawn by djavaman · · Score: 0, Troll

    Wow. MacOS - Apple charging people for a free OS. iPod - Apple overcharging for devices you can get elsewhere. iTunes/iChat/iETC... - Apple copyware iCrap

  213. Think Different by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Windows users, can you imagine paying for a service pack? can you even dream of the joys?

    well WAKE UP, your dream has come true, courtesy of the folks here, at apple.

    introducing Mac osX service pack 2, starting at just $19.99 (if you bought your system TODAY) and for those of you who bought your systems yesterday, or the day before, that'll be $129.99.

    Apple... "think different" "switch," and "screw you" :)

  214. i just bought OSX!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    hmmmmm....buy another freaking upgrade? Isnt this why I stopped using Microsoft products? All I know is it had better be in Software update to night when I get home(yeah right!). Apple can kiss my ass too now...Im going back to Linux.

  215. Went straight to the source by PierceLabs · · Score: 1

    I contacted the Apple store and they said plainly that the upgrade coupons will not be honored for 10.2 owners regardless of how long you've owned your new Mac. I personally picked up one about 18 days ago and I just won't pay for 10.2 after I just purchased a brand new machine.

    The want to see the adoption of OSX go up, they're going to have to do a heck of a lot better than this on the pricing front.

    When the lady told me that those coupons are just for proof-of-purchase and would not be honored for upgrade and that there IS NO UPGRADE price, that pretty much ended any concern I had for what Apple does in 10.2, and I will continue to target 10.1.5 for all software releases of that platform until the do something that makes sense.

  216. Define Basic Value please by JudgeFurious · · Score: 1

    I like the way my Mac looks.

    I love the way it does most of the exact same things as the Windows 2000 machine I spend my days at work using.

    Funny how it's a toy when a Mac does something but an Application when a Microsoft machine does the exact same thing in a less efficient and more cumbersome manner.

    --
    Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
  217. There is hope for continuing free email accounts by 0ptimus · · Score: 1, Interesting

    On the Mac Support site, I found a post that detailed a method to convert your .Mac trail account to an email-only account. It looks like this would take care of the problem of having to pay if you only use email:

    -----------
    (login at www.mac.com, go to the support screen and select email in the help section at the bottom left of the screen):

    Converting your .Mac trial account to an email-only account

    IMPORTANT: If you choose to convert your trial account to an email-only account, all your data files on Apple's servers (except for email messages) will be removed. Other .Mac services, such as iDisk, HomePage, Backup, and Virex, are not accessible to email-only accounts.

    To convert your trial account to email-only, go to www.mac.com. Click Account in the .Mac menu bar, then click the Email Account Management button. Enter the member name and password of the trial account you'd like to convert, then click Convert.

    Print your account information for future reference, then click Continue.
    ------

    The poster on the support board mentioned that while the instructions are available, this process does not yet work, but hopefully this functionality is coming soon, as it would erase many of the complaints people here have about the change to a paid service.

  218. Any places selling IPODS cheaper than @ apple.com? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now that they have the ipod available for Windows, I think I'll be getting one (as well as many others). But where's the cheapest place to buy ipods? Thanks in advance.

  219. Yes, be sure to send your feedback! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Will people stop fucking telling us that "nothing is free" and "it costs money to run" and "they never said it would be free _forever_" and the like.

    Apple is not a company you expect a stunt like this from. That is why many people switched to mac.com email accounts, including myself, to use for most or all of their email. Now i have 60 days to track down every single fucking place where I've used my email (no, I haven't passed it around everywhere, apart from WHOIS records I've made sure spammers never got to it).

    Charge for webspace, backup space, extra services, whatever. That's fine, and reasonable to a point. But at least provide a continued POP3 account with minimum storage, when so many people depend on their emails that they assumed (rightfully goddamnit!) would be theirs for a long time. Was Apple just retarded when they launched iTools, not knowing it would cost them to provide these services for free ? Or was it bait all along..

    Yes, I know I can pay. But eventually I will be paying $100/year just to keep my email account, and just to keep myself from a lot of work in changing it.

    Let them know how you feel about having your e-mail account terminated like this. send your feedback here.

  220. $100 not bad if you use everything by mattm76 · · Score: 1

    I'm surprised they don't have an email only option. It looks like .Mac is for the people who want the complete Apple experience. The power user would use most of these services. I own a PC that requires a $20/yr subcription for Norton Antivirus, $20/yr for yahoo email, and if I wanted 100mb for online storage (photos, briefcase), it would run me $35/yr. That's $75 without support. So if the support is worth $25/yr then it's an OK deal. If not, I think a $25 premium fits within the typical Apple user's price range. It was a typical bait n' switch, but what isn't on the internet. Just like when Datek started charging account inactivity fees.

  221. You need to chill out dude by wbowman · · Score: 1

    Everyone who was even remotely aware of Apple's plans knew that 10.2 was coming soon (September was the prevailing theory). If you were that concerned about it you should have waited. In fact, they will deliver an updated PowerBook within 6 months too. Do you want that for free? Get over it - developers cost money and so do software updates.

  222. I bow to your higher nerd-ness! by nexthec · · Score: 1

    And I'm not even Trolling! I am really jealouse, I have been dreaming about a setup like that for a while now! I think possibly the only thing that would be more cooler(not necessarliy more usefull) would be a cellphone/bluetooth card that would alow you to just have a palmpilot, and a bluetooth headset. Possibly the addition of voice dialing like on that stupid ('pet-za' comercial, they work better than advertised btw) that and a bluetooth home phone and car phone, that would switch you between the different phones based on location.

    1. Re:I bow to your higher nerd-ness! by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      There's a GSM sleeve-thingy for the iPaq that turns your PDA into a tri-band GSM/GPRS phone with Bluetooth. It's expensive, but it works. When I looked at it the first time, I though, ``That's way too bulky to be practical. I'd hate to hold that up to my ear.'' Then I realized that it would stay in my backpack all the time, while I just wore the wireless headset in my ear. It's technically a phone, but a different sort from anything I've used before.

      My friend in the next office has one. He's in a meeting right now, so I can't get the details.

      I just get annoyed with the whole Microsofty feel of the thing. (I mean my iPaq now.) I wish Apple would release an embedded version of Darwin specifically for things like PDAs. Put an Aqua UI on it, and Rendezvous and Bluetooth in it, then a GSM adapter, and I'd be in heaven. No more of that ugly ``Pocket PC'' user interface.

    2. Re:I bow to your higher nerd-ness! by RESPAWN · · Score: 2

      And I'm not even Trolling! I am really jealouse, I have been dreaming about a setup like that for a while now! I think possibly the only thing that would be more cooler(not necessarliy more usefull) would be a cellphone/bluetooth card that would alow you to just have a palmpilot, and a bluetooth headset. Possibly the addition of voice dialing like on that stupid ('pet-za' comercial, they work better than advertised btw) that and a bluetooth home phone and car phone, that would switch you between the different phones based on location.

      I hear that. I too was dreaming of a setup like this, not even realizing that it existed until I finally decided to join the 20th century and get a cell phone. :) I've got an Ericsson T60d (possibly the phone fubar104 has?) for which I can purchase a bluetooth module and a bluetooth headset. The phone also comes with voice dialing and, when using a handsfree setup, a more full voice command system allowing you to do most of your basic features such as answer and reject calls, etc. I haven't used much more than the voice dialing features yet, as I haven't purchased a headset yet. Also, the bluetooth module and headset are unfortunately pretty expensive for a poor college student. On the plus side, however, this phone does come with a standard 2.5mm headset jack, unlike a lot of other phones, so any old $15 headset will work with it. Still, it's nice to be able to dream and imagine that if I somehow came into a lot of money, I would be able to afford the bluetooth module and headset. :)

      One thing the parent didn't mention, is that using bluetooth, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for your laptop. (OK, so I think it can, but I'll admit to not knowing a whole lot about bluetooth, so somebody please correct me if I'm wrong on this.)

      --

      If Murphy's Law can go wrong, it will.

  223. Psychological effects of version numbers by Etcetera · · Score: 3, Informative


    I think it's interesting how people are calling Jaguar just a "bug fix release" or "service pack" even though there are a TON of new features and archetecural improvements running behind the scenes.

    Apple is one of the few non-Unix companies that still cares about a semi-consistant versioning scheme:

    v A.B.C
    A=Major release number, new paradigms, etc...
    B=Minor release number, incremental improvements
    C=Bug fix release

    In the past, Apple has bumped the minor release to x.5 when some sort of major incompatability occurred (ie, OS 8.5 was the first to require a PowerPC Mac). They didn't do that here, but I wonder people would be as bent out of shape about it if Apple *had* called this Mac OS X 10.5. Or maybe Mac OS X 2002? Compare the product on a feature-level, not a numeric level.

    Apple usually isn't willing to inflate a version jump for marketing purposes:

    - Mac OS 6 to 7 was a giant jump in terms of structure.

    - Mac OS 7.1.1 to 7.5 wasn't quite as big, but did greatly expand the "experience" with new technologies (and doubled the distribution size).

    - Mac OS 7.6.1 to 8.0 had a major UI overhaul, mutli-threaded Finder, and major architectural re-writes.

    - Mac OS 8.5 began life as 8.2 until it hit beta and it was decided that it would be PowerPC only. (Even though it was 8.6 that deserved the monkier thanks to the new microkernel.)

    - Mac OS 9 was Mac OS 8.7 until a beta as well, although that was probably to help maintain a clear separation between OS 9 (designed to work with X) and 8 (not).

    - Even though OS X is in roman numerals, it's still numerically just OS 10.x.

    Compare this to Microsoft (and, by following MS's example, a majority of the Windows software out there) which gets away with murder by renaming a bug patch according to the current year and can charge an arm and a leg for it. Even MS realized that Windows 98 was just Windows 4.1 (and Office 98 contains Word 7.0).

    Could someone please tell me where the hell Windows Media Player 8 went though?

    1. Re:Psychological effects of version numbers by phillymjs · · Score: 2

      Mac OS 7.6.1 to 8.0 had a major UI overhaul, mutli-threaded Finder, and major architectural re-writes.

      Actually, OS 8.0 only contained enough true changes to be 7.7 or 7.8, but it was artificially bumped up to kill the cloners, whose licenses were only valid for 7.x.

      ~Philly

    2. Re:Psychological effects of version numbers by salimma · · Score: 1
      Apple is one of the few non-Unix companies

      But they *are* claiming to be one (Unix company), so it does make sense that they follow a similar versioning scheme?

      Granted, their versioning makes sense even in the past...

      Michel

      --
      Michel
      Fedora Project Contribut
  224. called the 17" iMac a while back by dolanh · · Score: 2
  225. How to buy Jaguar for $69.50 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Go to the federal employee store. Click that nice shiny "I Accept" button. Buy Jaguar for $69.50. Enjoy chewing satisfaction.

  226. MAC$ = Window$ PC by greymond · · Score: 1

    ok

    as the windows pc user is constantly having crashes on his $500 machine filled with free pirated software

    the mac user is bitching about a new $100+ software upgrade that comes out for his $1500+ imac (software not pirated)

    when the hell am i going to be able to afford a mac outside having my work pay for one?

    maybe i should switch to a pc/linux combo...

  227. Re:Apple's trying to gouge us? I don't think so. by UV_Haze · · Score: 1

    I think that people should have to pay for the upgrade. Pricing it like an upgrade for existing users of the OS would be very reasonable of Apple. Even M$ does this. So until Apple does I'm gonna have a hate on for them.

    They(Apple) should provide their users with a clear upgrade path, either through yearly licencing or reasonable costing upgrades. End of story IMO.

  228. And don't forget to add another $30... by kusako · · Score: 1

    ... if you've bought Quicktime PRO 5.
    10.2 will come with Quicktime 6, and your old key won't work any more....

  229. Re:129? NO STUPID it's $20 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's only $20 for people who just bought new machines. It's called UP-TO-DATE. If you read the books that came with your computer you'd know that. Also during the keynote today, he came out and said $20 if you just bought a computer. What part of $20 do you not understand?

  230. A Door on the iPod? by guttentag · · Score: 2
    ...a door to protect the FireWire port...
    What's next? Windows to protect my data?
  231. nope, IE 5 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    98 Second Edition has IE 5.0

    It was normal Windows 98 that has IE 4

  232. petition for feedback about $100/year iTools fee by call+-151 · · Score: 2, Informative

    At this link there is a petition going to ask Apple to reconsider the $100/year fee for those who thought Apple was serious when they said "email address for life".

    --
    It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw.
  233. price by Twister002 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Why would I want to spend $369 dollars for a bluetooth headset
    when I can spend $29.99 for a non-bluetooth headset?

    or $399 for a bluetooth HP color inkjet
    When I can spend $129.99 for a non-bluetooth HP color inkjet?

    I don't think I'm inconvenienced by $200 or $340 to have a cord.

    I think my sig more than says it all about these new announcements from Apple.

    --
    "For a successful technology, honesty must take precedence over public relations for nature cannot be fooled." -Feynman
    1. Re:price by TotallyUseless · · Score: 1

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      --

      Time for some tasty Shiner Bock!
  234. Hahahahahaha... I get it FREE!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As the sole Mac integrator in my office (the company is an Apple Reseller), I get to keep the NFR copy we'll get. Just like I have all their other cool stuff in the recent past.

    So neener neener neener on you!

  235. That makes absolutely no sense to me. by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You aren't forced to, now, pay Apple for 10.2; you can just, well, install FreeBSD. Or Darwin at least. Or Yellow Dog Linux. Or Debian. Or whatever. Why does exiting Apple mean going for cheaper and lower quality components? You can still run your iBook or 17" iMac with a conventional Linux or BSD based OS...

    Now, as I see it, what you're trying to do is avoid becoming an addicted zealot.

    That is understandable. I loathe myself for lusting after a 20gb iPod and a 17" iMac or a 23" Cinema HD Display.

    But... it almost seems that you're overcompensating in your actions.

    "Hm, I don't want to be prey to AppleLust and AppleZealotry, so I'll get rid of my Mac altogether."

    Is this like losing weight through purging? Or controlling sexual desire through abstinence?

    The weakness is in you, not in Apple. Getting rid of the Apple hardware doesn't remove the fact that you still have that weakness in the first place.

    The difference (for me) is that I recognize I have the weakness (AppleLust), but as much as I *want*, I don't let it compel me to instant spot purchases or decisions.

    1. Re:That makes absolutely no sense to me. by Garin · · Score: 2

      Nah, it's not like that. I'll get rid of the iBook just to get some cash back. Happily, Apple hardware seems to hold a fair bit of value. I'll easily get enough off of this to buy myself a really nice new tower loaded up with fast-but-cheap commodity hardware.

      Unless it's running Mac OS X, I don't really see much benefit in having the Apple hardware. I'm not really a power CPU user or anything like that, I don't care whether it's a G3 or a K6-II, as long as I have lots of ram and disk space :)

      --
      In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it. -John Archibald Wheeler
  236. AT&T UNIX version numbers (off-topic) by Guy+Harris · · Score: 2
    Unix from AT&T had a similar problem. they kept calling it "System N" and incrementing N. when they hit "System V" (the first to use a roman numeral, i think),

    No, that was System III. (There were, I think, UNIX 4.x releases used inside AT&T, but they were never released as "System IV"; they went straight from "System III" to "System V".)

  237. So how exactly does the new Windows iPod... by Bob+The+Nob · · Score: 1

    ...get people to "Switch"? Why would I buy a Mac when my $500 Windows-only iPod won't work with it? Apple couldn't design drivers for Windows or jam a few more lines of code onto the firmware so that my new iPod will be cross-platform? Seriously bad move in my opinion. Seriously bad keynote. I'm a bit worried about my favorite company...

    1. Re:So how exactly does the new Windows iPod... by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 1

      There is not a "Windows-only" iPod. The iPod will work with both Mac and Windows. The reason they are labeled "Macintosh" and "Windows" at the Apple store is to distinguish which software is bundled with the iPod. However, all the software will be available for free download from the website, and the device will work with either platform.

    2. Re:So how exactly does the new Windows iPod... by Bob+The+Nob · · Score: 1

      I hope so, but where did you see this? I've yet to officially confirm the fact that the hardware is x-plat. Also, why wouldn't Apple just toss the Windows app disc into the box with every "Mac" version, if host software is the only difference? Why have double the number of SKU's to deal with and possibly risk shipping errors, etc. I remain skeptical.

    3. Re:So how exactly does the new Windows iPod... by dadragon · · Score: 1

      I suspect that the Windows iPod's disk is formatted Fat32, while the Macintosh version is formatted HFS+.

      --
      God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!
    4. Re:So how exactly does the new Windows iPod... by djupedal · · Score: 0

      One SKU, while making sense, doesn't allow the marketing wonks to track targeted (mac vs. win) users very well, now does it? Separate SKU's/packaging also give a warm fuzzy to dimwitted windows users looking in from the sidewalk.

  238. Several thoughts from the same person by zaren · · Score: 2

    As a shareholder, I'm not going to complain about the free (as in beer) services going away. I'd actually like to know exactly how much it cost Apple to host 2+ million email addresses and file space, and how much they'll be saving (and earning) by going to a pay service.

    As a consumer, it's quite a disappointment. Having a mac.com address was a nifty thing, and I was just starting to use iDisk and the free Web hosting aspects of the iTools system. It's a shame it's going away.

    As an entry level system admin with a smattering of WebObjects experience, I should think it would be possible to remove the iDisk and Web aspects of an iTools account, and leave just the free email service available.

    As a loyal Mac user, I'm surprised that Apple would have nuked such a popular system as iTools without offering something, even of a lesser quality, in it's place.

    --
    Come to the University of Mars! Classes starting soon!
  239. Apple Garamond font gone? by myov · · Score: 1

    Has anyone else noticed that Apple has changed their font from Apple Garamond to Lucida Grande? I started to notice the shift with the eMac, but now the entire site seems to be in Lucida Grande.

    --
    I use Macs to up my productivity, so up yours Microsoft!
    1. Re:Apple Garamond font gone? by Dan+Crash · · Score: 2

      I noticed it too. The consensus seems to be that the new font is Adobe Myriad Roman. I think it's just... too boring. It lacks wit. I hope they wise up.

      --
      He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.
  240. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  241. WHAT? I thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I though apple was a HARDWARE company. shouldn't they offer their software updates for free, or atleast less that an arm and a leg? Everytime i drool over OSX, wishing it would work on i86, a slashdotter always points out 'too bad, mac is a hardware company' well then what the hell is this?

  242. Re:Any places selling IPODS cheaper than @ apple.c by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not sure if they still are but....
    Amazon was selling them real cheap plus you got $80 of free music and no tax or shipping. Thats where I bought mine.

  243. BSD Security Fix? by BandwidthHog · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I found this buried with other unixy stuff at the bottom of the features page for Jagwire:
    Extended username and password
    I'm wondering if this means they've fixed the long-standing BSD (and therefore OS X) password issue?

    (Once word of that gets around we'll get a few points back on the stock, right? Right?)
    --

    Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
  244. Regarding terminal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm not the original poster you replied to, but I avoid terminal like the plague on 10.1 for these reasons

    On my 800x600 ibook, the anti-aliased fonts (like andale mono) look horrible. An l character, which should be straight and crisp is blurred and messy looking. I don't know why they tried to anti-alias a vertical line.

    Also, there are no ANSI fonts, so my prettiest terminal programs like mutt and BitchX look like crap. ANSI colors in general can be hit or miss for complex graphics.

    Transparency is a hack that leaves artifacts that look like a burned in display. I thought transparancy would be easy in OS X, so I don't know why it took them so long to get it working for terminal.

    It's impossible to redefine the colors. Sure you can redefine the basic text, background and cursor colors globally, but if I want something other that FF0000 for my ANSI red, then I'm out of luck.

    I love OS X, as long as I'm using aterm/xterm/rxvt under Xdarwin. If I could have the same functionality with terminal I'd be even happier.

  245. Re:New iMac Designed With Ancient Mathematical Sec by Dahan · · Score: 2
    The Golden Ratio is actually (1 + 0.5^0.5)/2

    Uh, that's about 0.854. We're looking for a number around 1.618. Try (1. + 5.**0.5)/2. It is the number Phi such that Phi = 1 + 1/Phi.

  246. New iPod features firmware upgradeable? by enota · · Score: 1

    As an owner of an original iPod, I too would like a clock, improved interface, calendar, etc. As of now, there is no firmware update whatsoever on the main iPod website (even for old ipods). Perhaps us older owners can take advantage of this as well? also, the remote does not come with the 5 gb new model. Can it be ordered seperately? possibly on ebay? and if so, will it work on older ipods? (they have the connectors for it, but are they connected to the main board?

    1. Re:New iPod features firmware upgradeable? by Filarion · · Score: 1

      39 bucks for the remote and the case on Apples website. Since the new iPods are due in August Id expect the firmware update by then as well...

      --
      --[Nothing important]--
    2. Re:New iPod features firmware upgradeable? by enota · · Score: 1

      Thanks! I got to go to macworld thursday. They had a lot of ipod there, and I plugged the new remote into my old 5 gig ipod. Lo and behold, it works! The old remote works without firmware update (works on 1.1)

  247. Which current service pack? by HuguesT · · Score: 1

    Microsoft has stopped offering new service packs for NT4.0. The last service pack was 6.0a. This information is dated July 2001.

  248. a lot of whining by flockofseagulls · · Score: 1

    Why on earth does anyone expect Apple to give OSX updates away for free? Toyota doesn't give away updated cars every year; they don't even give away new tires. O'Reilly doesn't send out free second editions of their books. Sony doesn't give away Playstation games just because you bought a console.

    If you want to use a Mac then you have to pay for it, the same way that you pay for a BMW if you don't feel like driving a Yugo.

    If you don't want to pay for your OS use Linux or FreeBSD. If you don't like Apple's prices use Windows. I'm sure a lot of you will install a pirated 10.2 update anyway so why complain about it--should Apple send you a blank CDR for free too?

    Did anyone over 9 yrs old really think iTools/.mac would be free forever? Either you pay or you get ads pasted into your email--that's how the real world works. Show of hands: how many people who complain about losing their free .mac email address also complained about how Apple's email service sucks?

    Grow up, get a job, pay for shit you use. You'll find out that's how things work outside of the dorm room and mommy's basement.

  249. buying apple stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Something new Mac users need to learn is that you should never buy a Mac product right before a Macworld event...because they always introduce a new product.

    With Apple, it pays to keep up with what is in the pipeline. No one, for example, should be buying a tower right now if they can help it. The massive rebates exist to clear inventory for the next generation, which will be faster and cheaper.

    A similar example: the current tower product line replaced 3 slower towers, and are the SAME price as the old, slower machines. (i.e. the previous ~600 mHz tower selling for $1500 was replaced with an 800mHz tower now selling for $1500. So by waiting for a product you know will be released soon, you gain 200mHz for no additional cash.

    So pay attention. This is not the first nor the last time Apple has pissed people off by announcing newer, cheaper products at a Macworld event.

  250. Let me build one for myself... by NeuroManson · · Score: 2

    From scratch for $500 or under, and I'll buy your precious OS... Otherwise, Apple holds a monopoly on the PowerPC market, and in addition, an unfair and artificially inflated pricing scheme for their hardware...

    --
    Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
    1. Re:Let me build one for myself... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Show me a $500 PC you built that has all the hardware and software capabilities you get from start with the Mac.

    2. Re:Let me build one for myself... by NeuroManson · · Score: 2

      You, sir, are an utter retard...

      --
      Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
  251. Do you have a crack for XML tidy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Got you to look...

  252. Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you're a whiny little bitch.

    You'll make someone a great little wife someday.

    Bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch.

    God, I pity the man you marry someday.

  253. Not just a point release by Judogi · · Score: 1

    Ok I can understand why some people would be upset having to pay for the full version of 10.2. I for one am excited and can't wait to get my copy, having already ordered it from Apple's online store.

    For those who call this a "point" release and bitch about forking over $129 for the full version, I have a few comments:

    1) $129 is fhe FULL version, Hell, MS wants $99 for the XP Home edittion UPGRADE! Who gets the better deal? The next time I want to reinstall the OS, I only have to whip out ONE cd and go for it, not reinstall Win2k or whatever first, then intall the XP upgrade. I personally bought the public beta of OS X for $29, then the $99 upgrade to OS X, then paid yet another $19 for the 10.1 update. But. all of those purchases combined with the $129 purchase of 10.2 is STILL cheaper than a full version of Windows XP Professional.

    2) Stating that this is merely a point release is a drastic understatement. First of all, look at the features upon features that have been added to this release! There are not just useless GUI enhancements as in most Windows releases (read: XP). CUPS printing support, MS Exchange support in Mail.app, true Windows network compatibility including Active Directory support for network logon and resources, and Quartz Extreme are some of the big ones for me. These may be considered minor enhancements to some, but this makes my Powerbook and iMac seemlessly connect in the enterprise.

    If you take a look at all of the additional software, enhancements, and new additions and technologies, then one could argue that migrating from Win 95 to WinXP was merely a "point" release. Just my 2.

  254. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Evidently you're blind from having your head inside Bill Gates ass for the last several years.

    Microsoft wants a larger chunk of your money. They are more than happy to work hand-in-hand with the RIAA and MPAA if it means they can get it. And they will use their monopoly power to do it.

    Hailstorm bad! OS X gooooooood!

    Oh, wait, I guess with your eyes and ears covered in feces for several years you might not be able to place the quote I'm mimicing? Too bad, since it's also a slam against the RIAA.

  255. Re:Good For Apple, Good For Us (Right dipshit) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Buy an iMac and shut the fuck up.

  256. New Internet Chix0r by jrivar59 · · Score: 1

    http://www.apple.com/switch/ads/ellenfeiss.html

    So long anna k.

    Where's the fake pr0n?

  257. How bitter am I! by DJDaveET · · Score: 1

    So I *finally* take the plunge with OS X with a (new to me) PowerBook, and purchase the upgrade to OS X on July 7. Additionally, my significant other purchases a brand new, fully loaded Power Mac G4 on the same day.

    And now, because of 10 days, we don't qualify (according to the website) for the upgrade to OS X 10.2, but instead we BOTH need to shell out $129 for TWO copies.

    This is not starting off my relationship to Apple very well.

  258. Re:Do we need complex acronyms? by poopbot by Venotar · · Score: 1

    Let me get this straight - we should combine all the specialized protocols into a couple of Meta-protocols. Why? So that people can remember their names. Hmmm.

    Look, the naming schemes you refer to are not OSS specific and they have absolutely nothing to do with how ecommerce is adopted. You think grandma needs to know what protocol is serving the form she feeds her cc# into when she buys the latest Oprah Pick at Amazon? No, she just clicks "Buy it now. She could care less about anything more.

    You actually think the people in charge of marketing the various distros get any say in anything? WHY? What does a marketing droid know about client server architectures?

    As to ease of install, the last time I had to install Win2k it took me 4 hours. I had a standard Asus mlb with an extremely common integrated Sis NIC and soundcard. Win2k couldn't find drivers for any of it - I had to boot to SuSE and download the drivers that way. Thankfully I'd formatted the w2k partition using FAT32 so I could actually save the drivers to the win2k partition rather than burn them to a cd. Then I had to deal with the irritating way windows overwrote my boot sector and the royal mess it made of my partition table. Thank god for parted.

    SuSE 8.0, btw, installed without a hitch - it autodetected everything (including the cdrw and soundcard) and had all the appropriate drivers. The install was idiot proof (I could have done it without having to make any decisions at all, but I like a little choice in my package selection). Where's the CS degree required?

    Another thing, where did this whole European socialist conspiracy theory garbage come from? OSS doesn't stop at the US borders - it's open to everyone, that's the point.

    You sir, are a troll.

  259. Re:New iMac Designed With Ancient Mathematical Sec by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ah, dammit. My heart was in the right place.

  260. Obviously Not Familiar With Apple by JohnsonWax · · Score: 2

    The point of this now rantish response is to say that 0.1% of these gee whiz tech demos are going to turn into products. Just because Steve Jobs is on stage doesn't mean it isn't vapor ware.

    There is a distinct difference between Apple and everyone else out there that does this. It's why there are a gazillion rumor sites and people get up at all hours to watch the keynote.

    When Steve or Avie or Phil talk about a product, a technology, or some other thing, you WILL be able to buy it in short order and it WILL work as demonstrated. Apple has not done a vaporware announcement in the last 3 years at least (last one was Rhapsody which begat Mac OS X which was slightly pre-Jobs). If you see it on stage, you can own it usually within 2 months.

    Jaguar will ship on Aug 24 and if you are seeded with Mac OS X betas, you can do it today with the usual beta caveat. The phone he demoed on was the Ericsson T68, which you can buy now (a friend of mine just got one the other day.) It'll also work with at least a dozen other phones and bluetooth equipped PDAs.

    I challenge anyone here to point to anything that Apple has mentioned even in passing that will be the next great thing even 3 months out. Nothing that was shown today will ship later than Sept.

    No mention of G5s, or future applications, or devices. No tablets that will someday revolutionize your life. No flying cars or vacations on the moon. These guys generally don't even hint at products that they'll ship in 12 *hours* let alone operating systems that will slice cheese in 2006. Bottom line, if Apple talks about it, it'll ship, it'll ship soon, and it'll work.

    Instant gratification is a rare thing in this industry, and you get it frequently with Apple. If you can't download it today, you can go to the store and order it today. We got the first mention of iTunes 3 today. I downloaded it no more than 45 minutes later and it does a few things not mentioned in the show. I'm thrilled.

    I'm sorry that Microsoft and Sun and all the others have led you to believe that the industry is filled with liars and false prophets. If you would like a change of that view, look at Apple more closely. They don't supposedly have a super-duper tablet shipping next year for $499, but if they've told you that you can put a printer on the network and have your computer identify and configure it automatically, you can bank on it. It's worth the premium to have products that ship and that work as advertised.

  261. Wanna have some iFun? by aarku · · Score: 1

    Register a copyright for every single iWord you can think of.

    iTV, iWord, iSpeak, iFeel (oh wait), iSmell, iWeb, iBrowse, iMagazine, iSocial.

    Muahaha

    iSmart!

  262. Re: iTool annoyance by Saint+Fnordius · · Score: 2

    This is why people say they hate surprises.

    What bugs me about this is that Apple flubbed the spin by being all secret about it. If they would have leaked how much usage had exceeded expectations, then how much of a drain this was causing, I think people would accept this better. Now we feel hoodwinked and betrayed.

    On the other hand, they *have* given me a little over two months to clean out my iDisk and shut down my @mac.com addy. It would be nice if they had offered a bare-bones email POP/SMTP, but I've got other adresses and storage possibilities.

    So this is one of the moments where I really hate Mr. Jobs' love of secrecy and surprises. Microsoft's .NET attack on our wallets has us all edgy, and they pull this stupid .mac stunt and blindside loyal users with this change.

  263. Golden Resolution by mat.h · · Score: 1
    If they were really out to build the golden ratio display, they'd remember their discrete math course (magic word: Stern-Brocot tree) and find out that
    octave:1> [2 1; 1 1]**8
    ans =
    1597 987
    987 610
    1597x987 and 987x610 are much better fits.
  264. OSX is THE Unix OS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple has done so much more for the Open Source "UNIX deriative" movement than Linux could ever imagine. This includes a ususable GUI, easy to install apps, and access to Mac friendly and UNIX nerd tools. Its the dream OS! :)

  265. .mac = .mock by Tug3 · · Score: 1

    Here is my eMail to Apple, I rest my case:

    Dear(?) Apple,

    I was at a local happening here in Finland watching Steve Jobs' speech at the show yesterday. The happening was organised by Apple Finland, and was set in nice surroundings. The snack bar was great and the general atmosphere was very positive as Mac believers gathered to hear the high priest talk to them via the great Internet... The beleivers (me included) were pleased to see and hear their high priest talk with lot of adjectives in his speech. Some of us even cheered in religious extacy... ...but then something happened...

    The high priest started talking in strange voice! Many believers could hear the voice of the enemy in his voice. Even though the high priest tried making some jokes about the enemy, still the voice of the enemy could be heared in his speech. ...and then it came! He announced that he had lost his faith and he was now speaking with the voice of the enemy!

    He even named his new holy artifact after the enemy. I could sense the disbelief in the room. I could even sense the disbelief in the room across the Atlantic! Believers started to open their eyes - they had been worshiping a false icon all along! They had been led to believe that this was the way to enlightment. But now the true nature of this false religion started to show - it is just another religion of many others, all bowing to the enemy...

    Well, I for one woke up! I woke from the dream I had been living happily for a few years ow. I used to serve the enemy, I tried other religions and finally settled to this one. But yesterday's speech from the (false) high priest opened my eyes!

    I am now changing back to my old religion that serves the Penguin. I was going to buy a new portable artifact this fall, and still am - but it will not be of this religion. The artifact that I will buy shall be of the true religion - I see it now clear!

    ---

    Yes, I am changing back to Linux! I thought OS X would be it, but after yestedays speech I understood that Apple is not an alternative to Microsoft, it's just another derivate of it. Both your OS X 10.2 policy and your incomprihensible iTools to .mac policy switch have convinced me of this.

    I'm glad there exists still a real alternative!

    I for one am selling my old G4 (while I still can get some money of it) and buying a PC with the money. And the laptop I'll be buying will now be a PC too... ...both with Linux, as I can do everything with them that I could with a .mac (sorry got the . before the end of the sentence...)

    Regretfully yours,

    Tuukka Uusheimo

    PS. If you even bother to answer this - I'll be reading my mac.com mail until it closes. After that I'll continue my REAL email address, that I get with my ISP account with no extra charge. I for sure am not giving you that address, as I do not want your spam into that address - not any more...

    --
    If all else fails, pull the plug and get out...
    The Life is out there...
    1. Re:.mac = .mock by foniksonik · · Score: 2

      I may be preaching to the unconverted or the converted because it doesn't matter.

      When did it become everyone's god given right to have free e-mail? (although Apple will still give you free e-mail just no free iDisk or free HomePage, etc.)

      Are there any other providers of free e-mail without obnoxious ads everywhere? not to my knowledge.

      You don't have to pay for anything. you don't even have to upgrade to 10.2, though you'll be laughed at by your peers for having ignored the best new technology ever to have come out of any OS provider.

      Why does everyone figure they deserve a free ride? OSS is wonderful, i use it every day, but I also contribute back to the community. Do you?

      Linux and other OSS solutions aren't out there for leeches, they are out there for contributers. The reason they are free is to entice new contributors and reward old hats by improving on what they started, to the benefit of everyone.

      "I for sure am not giving you that address, as I do not want your spam into that address - not any more"

      Guess you're not as in to the free exchange of information as you proclaim... hypocrisy at it's finest ladies and gentlemen.

      BTW if you don't want that mac.com address to close take another look at your account site in a couple of weeks and sign up for the free e-mail service that will be available, well before the for fee service takes over.

      --
      A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
    2. Re:.mac = .mock by Tug3 · · Score: 1

      Even knowingly this might escale into yet another stupid and useless flamewar, I'll answer to the posting... Anyway I do propose that people read the text they are about to flame before firing their flamers. And this would apply to the above also...

      Anyway I guess I hit the spot by comparing this to religion, as it's something the believers do NOT want to hear - the truth. (And this goes for all believers, not just for Church Apple...)

      And as for reply to the above? Let me repeat myself: read before firing!
      1) I am not using free email now, I pay to an ISP for my connection that comes with mailbox. That is a choise I made. Nothing is free...
      2) I do contribute back to the community - I just don't consider a corporation being "a community" that I should contribute to. Linux community is a community, while Apple & Microsoft are not. I hear no one complain if one is not willing to pay to Microsoft for similar services, and converts to Linux?
      3) And of me not giving my real email to Apple? They have the chance of answering me to my mac.com -mail before they shut it down. Like I would think that they cared enough for the needs of a user to answer... And even if they would, I doubt that they'd have the time as they must have loads of angry email about this...

      But enough said - flamers usually don't read messages this long before firing off...

      --
      If all else fails, pull the plug and get out...
      The Life is out there...
  266. Come on, he's not doing Unix better than anyone... by mschmitt · · Score: 0

    ...because Darwin is not Unix. And while we're at it, Linux isn't Unix either, but getting pretty damn close, in a way that only the die-hard indoctrinated Unix grannies aren't taking it seriously.

    Anyone who has ever used Darwin, tried to compile some software on it and looked effortlessly for the X-Server (until noticing that XFree86 must be installed separately in the Form of XDarwin) knows that Steve's claim about OS X being the greatest Unix of all time, is utter bullshit. It's not just no branded Unix, its almost unusable either. For Unix users, that is. And - gasp - Quartz is an even slower dog than X11 has ever been.

    I think the old proverb is in full effect here: "Those who do not understand Unix are condemned to reinvent it, poorly."

  267. Demos are like fashion shows... by salimma · · Score: 1

    ... or car prototypes. Surely part of the intention is also to showcase new ideas and see whether they take off?

    Personally I would not say Bluetooth is useless. The reason it took such a long time to take off has more to do with working out the radio frequency spectrum than anything else.

    My twopence,

    Michel

    --
    Michel
    Fedora Project Contribut
  268. Rule of thumb... by salimma · · Score: 1

    1. All code contain bugs
    2. All code can be made at least 1 line shorter ... Thus one can deduce that you can have a one-line program that is still buggy! :p Michel

    --
    Michel
    Fedora Project Contribut
  269. So Many I's! by Snover · · Score: 1

    iTunes 3, iPod updates, iChat, iCal, iSync, a 17" iMac...!
    What's next, iBrator?!!

    --

    [insert witty comment here]
  270. iPhoto *is* affected by g4dget · · Score: 2

    One of iPhoto's strengths was the ease with which non-computer people could put up their photos on their home page. Without iTools, that goes away. The integration with iTools was a big part of making the iMac usable and interesting for home users, and Apple made a big deal out of that and out of the fact that it was free.

    1. Re:iPhoto *is* affected by rjung2k · · Score: 1

      I think you can get iPhoto plugins that will let you generate iPhoto web pages to general-purpose HTML, which you can then upload to your web host of choice. Check Versiontracker.com for details.

    2. Re:iPhoto *is* affected by g4dget · · Score: 2
      I can do a lot of things. But for non-technical users, looking around on VersionTracker, installing a "plug-in", and "uploading" are just way too complicated.

      So, my point remains: by dropping iTools, iPhoto is affected: it doesn't work anymore out of the box for web page publishing. And that was one of the main features it had going for it.

  271. Python version by MartinB · · Score: 2

    I really, really hope that this is Python2.1, otherwise my Zope install will be broken. And as that's what I run my personal site from, I won't be pleased.

    --

    The only thing you can accurately describe as "Scotch" is a sticky tape made by 3M. And it's

  272. There's precedent by Quila · · Score: 2

    the best one i heard was from a friend using the first pet name - mothers maiden name,

    It still reminds me of the Adobe upgrade to InDesign fiasco. Adobe came out with InDesign 1.0, which was exciting, but still very horribly beta quality. There was a long list of hugely important bugs (I couldn't even create a document and directly save it -- required a workaround), and we awaited a bug fix desperately.

    Then Adobe announced InDesign 1.5 with a $100 upgrade price and most users went ballistic. Yes, they'd added a lot of features, but in order to fix these huge bugs, we had to buy the extra features too! Enough loud shouting and downright angry rants got the price down to $29 for us.

    That's like this OS X upgrade (except you did have a couple post 1.0 fixes). You want the bugs and exceptional slowness fixed, but you have to buy a whole bunch of other stuff in order to get it.

  273. Don't forget QuickTime Pro, too by thedbp · · Score: 1

    Apple is also making us pay for QuickTime Pro all over again as well. So, that's $130 for the OS, $100 (or 50) for .Mac, and 30 for QuickTime.

    $260 bucks?!?!! Even 210 isn't that great of a bargain. C'mon Apple, how can you hit us up with all these charges AT ONCE?!?!

    I mean, damn, do you really need 3rd and 4rd quarter revenues to be THAT GOOD?!

    1. Re:Don't forget QuickTime Pro, too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Considering the economy and that Apple and Dell are the only two OEM's making money...why does everyone think that whatever Apple does should be FREE?

      While I think they should give existing users a break, I don't think it should be FREE either.

      As for .Mac. Sure other stuff is free, but it is hardly integrated under one banner. M$ .Net isn't yet anyway. And M$ isn't giving upgrades away either. Look at what they did to the Portland schools...Apple is charging the Schools $69 for 10.2. That's modest, unlike M$ focing audits on districts to the threat of $500,000 in fees/fines, etc.

      Think back. Didn't you get your gas tank filled free and the windows washed, fluids checked? Why don't you complain about that?

    2. Re:Don't forget QuickTime Pro, too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have always had to pay for Quicktime Pro, however, you don't have to pay for the quicktime player.

    3. Re:Don't forget QuickTime Pro, too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Come on apple. This last Macworld was a lesson on how to nickle and dime us to death.

      Jag should be a free upgrade. Its not a full vertion and I can live without imbeded AOL-IM

  274. Gee, an AC, what a shock. by Mr.+Bundy · · Score: 1

    n/t

  275. Re:quartz extreme = directx5+ by @madeus · · Score: 2

    Quartz Extreme is nothing like Direct X. They are 'chalk and cheese', to use an English expression.

    Open GL is far more comparable to Direct X than Quartz Extreme is is. Direct X is about speeding up graphics performace, primarily in games and 3D applications (much like Open GL).

    Quartz Extreme is about the entire Windowing environment and drawing *everything* in Open GL, Direct X does not do this - having Direct X installed does not mean that your Windows, Icons, Desktop and all your applications are displayed using hardware acceleration.

  276. The more things change... by linuxjack55 · · Score: 0, Troll
    It's funny how symbols change over time. Like the pirate flag that was raised over the Macintosh design lab in 1983. Back then, it was a sign that Apple was going to take no prisoners in the battle for the personal computer marketplace. Well, Apple is still taking no prisoners, but, unfortunately, its only captives are its inexplicably loyal customers, who, after paying a premium for all things Apple, are being asked again to throw good money after bad while Apple morphs into a mini-Microsoft.

    --
    The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected. -- Will Rogers
  277. Re:Computing Addicts by ebooher · · Score: 1

    I've been using UNIX for about 18 years? Tried to get off of UNIX once. Withdrawal was hell. All those glittery icons and blue screens of death. I thought I was hallucinating. There wasn't any 12 step programs back then, you see.

    So I stayed with UNIX, I needed it. I started working two jobs just to support my habit. I even started pushing it off on kids. I felt so dirty, but it was necessary for me to be able to keep up.

    There were flavors! Flavors, man! I needed to taste all of them. Started out with a little SUN, kind of pizza-ish but not bad. IBM was a bit bitter, and the aftertaste was horrible. HP caused me to shake all the time. So I stuck with SUN until someone learned how to fabricate UNIX in a little lab in Europe somewhere.

    Linux was born, and I was hooked. I thought I had been bad before, but that was nothing compared to what happened to me next.

    I started forcing my outlook on people. They just had to know UNIX. I couldn't stop myself, the more people I hooked, the higher my ranking became.

    Then it happened. All those users we used to scoff and laugh at found a new way to manufacture UNIX. They new how to market it better, how to wrap it up in all the shiny buttons and pictures that had turned me back to UNIX so long ago.

    They were sucking people in by droves.

    So you're saying that because this gentleman has used a Macintosh for 18 years, and has for the most part enjoyed this use, that he is an addict to the Apple platform? I say, thank God for the addicts. They help us to see what is real in the world.

    --
    "Genius may shine aloof and alone, like a star, but goodness is social, and it takes two men and God to make a Brother."
  278. Macs and Keynotes by Thenomain · · Score: 1

    Never, ever, ever, ever buy a Mac right before Macworld Season.

    Some lessons are learned the hard way.

    --
    This now concludes our broadcast day.
    1. Re:Macs and Keynotes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When is the next Macworld Expo? :)

  279. analogy: X.1 is to X.2 what 2000 is to XP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    isn't XP everything that windows 2000 promised?

    speedy, stable, NT based, and supposed to do away with any previous MS OS. well... 2000 was a pretty good test run, however, it took XP to really deliver what a lot of people were promised.

    10.1 offered a working, albeit slow, OS that brought a stable work enviornment to the mac. 2000 brought a working, albeit slow, OS that brought a 'stable' work enviornment to wintel. 10.2 is (supposedly) going to deliver what was promised.

    apple will hopefully get it right the 2nd time around. while only paying for one upgrade. wintel users. paid for NT 3.51 to NT 4, to windows 2000 professional to XP. or, if you like, 95 to 98 to 2000 to ME to XP.

    most important reason most people i know upgraded to XP. 98 couldn't handle a LOT of memory, nor could it handle a USB mouse. seems like a pretty weak reason to pay for a new OS to me. Mac OS has supported mass amounts of memory and USB mouses well for years!

  280. I'm switching... by theolein · · Score: 2

    over to a Thinkpad A31 from my present Mac. Hasta luego, Apple!

  281. Jaguar will take piracy to a new level by tu11ym0n · · Score: 1

    talk about encouragement. I'm glad I have friends who will most likely have an "extra copy laying around". With an enemy like Apple out there, it's sure good to have friends.

  282. errr, what? by CarrionBird · · Score: 1

    Since when can 98 not use USB mice? My ole 98 laptop doesn't know about this apparantly. You're right about the memory though, you had to tweak to prevent problems with 512 or more ram & it didn't take adventage of it even then.

    --
    Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
  283. Shot in the foot by arfy · · Score: 2

    I'm OS-agnostic, pretty much, and three of my friends were convinced by the "Switch" ads to go to the local SuperMegaComputerCenterStore and look at Apple product on Monday. They convinced me to go along with them.

    All of them were sold on buying Macintoshes Monday night (not by my efforts, just by sitting in front of them and using them.) One of the three ordered one that night for pickup Friday since only a demo was in stock of what he wanted, the other two were going to wait and see if they could get better deals after Wednesday.

    Then they heard about .Mac and the stupid free e-mail accounts going away and Apple charging for the bugfixes. The one who already ordered canceled his order and the other two are not considering Macs anymore. Which is somewhat sad for Apple's marketing department, if you think about it: here they managed to lure in three customers, fully ready to plop down their dosh for product, and then by going on the cheap and behaving like other computer companies, Apple lost a couple of points of differentiation that it sorely needed to help justify its pricing. The customers saw that mac.com email as a kind of exclusive club that only Macintosh owners could join, a paid-for fringe benefit that came with the higher hardware price. Likewise the insanely great software and free bugfixes. Take it all away and all you have to compete with is quality, which doesn't necessarily win in this marketplace.

    1. Re:Shot in the foot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's with this "charging for bugfixes" whining? Apple's charging for a major upgrade to the OS (ZeroConf, CUPS, fonts, iSynch, iCal, etc.). Bugfixes get shipped out via auto-update for free. And, if your friends had bought their machines after the keynote on Wednesday as they'd planned, the OS upgrade would have been only $20. And assuming that get internet access, they already have email addresses (although @mac.com is a cool email domain).

      I can't believe someone would make a platform decision based on such trivia. It's not like they'd get a better deal, or nicer treatment, or better software, from Microsoft.

  284. You seem shocked....why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You seem shocked. I don't understand why.

    Apple /// - "This is a 5 year system" (meaning Apple had plans for it for 5 years)
    Apple /// Dead in 3 years.

    Apple ][ sales were flagging so the slogan "Apple ][ forever" was bantered about. Look around for Apple ][ development today. Forever isn't too long, is it?

    Newton. 3 days AFTER it was cancelled, Apple sales reps were telling educators at the NEA "The EMate is an important part of the Apple Product Line-up." (Apple is willing to bold-face lie...or thinks you as the consumer is an idiot.)

    OpenDoc. How many developers got burned on that deal?

    "Any machine sold by Apple in 1997 will run the New Mac OS" - Apple CEO at WWDC 1997. That too was another customer roast.

    "We are committed to high shareholder value" - Apple's CEO Micheal S. (Translation - We will squeeze our customers for all we can)

    Apple has a history of burning its customers. Yet, your post makes it sound like you were not expecting to get burned. Didn't you research Apple's history before you bought the product? Did you REALLY think when Apple said 'part of the value of being a mac owner is your own address@mac.com' didn't mean "we will charge you later"

  285. Re: [OT]Is there a plan for these version numbers? by MobyTurbo · · Score: 1
    Blockquoth the poster:
    Unix from AT&T had a similar problem. they kept calling it "System N" and incrementing N. when they hit "System V" (the first to use a roman numeral, i think), they started pushing the tagline "consider it standard" to combat the fears of people noting that there was no official standard for Unix,
    UCB's CSRG orginally wanted to name their successor to BSD 4 "BSD 5", which was the pattern for all of their previous new releases. They were pressured by AT&T to use "BSD 4.1" instead to keep people from confusing it with System V.

    Strangely, free BSD varients based on "4.4BSDlite" started over, numbering their first releases "1.0" rather than "4.5", etc. (386BSD started this scheme, the last versions were 0.9) FreeBSD is currently in the development branch is working on 5.0 (current release version 4.6, soon to be 4.6.1). I assume that AT&T, or whoever owns the trademark now, won't try to make them not number it 5.0, as they went to court with BSDI to make sure *BSD couldn't call it "Unix", so making them not number it 5.0 so people wouldn't confuse it with being a more recent version of Unix would seem hypocritical don't you think? :-)

    If you think this is bad, you should compare Linux distribution numbering systems; which practically are completely arbitrary. One vendor's 7.3 is another vendor's 8.2 in every practical sense except marketing.

  286. It's not "working well" for us, that's the problem by Karl+Cocknozzle · · Score: 2
    The "paying for features I don't want" excuse is getting old. If what you have is working well for you, then you have no need to upgrade. I for one still have several Red Hat 6.2 boxes running here because Red Hat 7.2 has features I don't need. It's a free upgrade if I want it, but I don't.

    For one thing, Red Hat 6 was a mature OS when released (for free) as release code. OS X 10.0, on the other hand was beta code that cost $129.

    I wouldn't say I'd be paying for features I "don't need", I'd say I'm paying for features I ALREADY paid for... Aqua was supposed to be high-performance all along, not as a $129 upgrade. Carbon was supposed to work all along, not as a $129 upgrade.

    I use OS X.1.5 exclusively on my mac, (mandrake supporting samba on my music server) and I can tell you there are many aspects of this OS that need work, that some parts of OS X are production-ready, some are not. Carbon libraries, for example, have several flaws...The first that comes to mind is the one that makes Mozilla OS X crash and burn if you launch it from a UFS partition.

    Yes, it is a good OS concept. Yes, it "looks" good. Yes, some of the functionality is there, BUT, a lot of basic stuff simply isn't.

    Printing, for a second example, is a disaster for OS X users... Better carefully test a printer before you deploy it in production with OS X. Variably, the new drivers: Don't exist; Do but have flaws that make output inconsistent or; (occasionally, in Candyland) Work perfectly when released. And there's no hard and fast rules, either. Your $1000 printer is as likely to print reliably in OS X as your $50 one.

    I have one of each, and neither one prints worth a shit from OS X. I guess you could say that I personally have a 0% chance of printing reliably from OS X as it stands today.
    --
    Who did what now?
  287. Yup. by Dan+Crash · · Score: 2

    I think you're totally right here.

    The mac.com address was a great viral marketing tool for Apple. It's essentially like wearing a t-shirt 24 hours a day that says, "I own a Mac and love it. Ask me questions about switching."

    Now what happens when people drop their mac.com addresses in droves, angry with Apple for their bait-and-switch?

    Apple has earned so much goodwill over the past few years for their embrace of UNIX and Open Source technologies. I guess they think it's time to burn some karma.

    --
    He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.
  288. Re:It's not "working well" for us, that's the prob by DavidRavenMoon · · Score: 2
    Carbon libraries, for example, have several flaws...The first that comes to mind is the one that makes Mozilla OS X crash and burn if you launch it from a UFS partition.

    Apple is the first one to tell you not to use UFS in OS X. There's no reason to use it. HFS+ is better.

    Printing, for a second example, is a disaster for OS X users...

    I have a two year old, discontinued Epson Sylus Photo 870, and it works as well in OS X as in 9. better actually, because in 9 if you used background printing, the Epson monitor would usually crash.

    It must be your installation of OS X... the UFS partition is a tip off...

    --
    -- if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic - Lewis Carrol
  289. Here we are by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Say hello to the last post.

  290. You do have a choice..... by middleground · · Score: 1

    Amazing all the flaming that goes on when Apple mentioned. Hey- bottom line is: You have a choice!! Don't like it, don't use it. :) I'm a little peeved about the upgrade price, just bought the X in January, but hey- I'll get over it. An idea for Apple though- I think they should give a dedicated user discount. If you can provide proof of purchase for all major OS versions (6,7,8,9,10) you get this one free.

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    Every Day Above Ground Is A Good One!!
  291. There's Now A Petition You Can Sign by WCityMike · · Score: 0

    If you'd like to let Mr. Jobs know that you would like Apple to offer an upgrade fee for Mac OS X, you can now sign a petition online. Perhaps if there's enough signatures ...